Quiz: Are you ready to have a baby?

PRINTABLE VERSION pdf

A link to an online version
that is self scoring is HERE.

 

 

Do you want to have children at some time?

	A	B	C
1  Do you want to be a mom?	Yes	Maybe	No
2  Is it important to you to continue the family name or bloodline?	Yes	A little	No
3  Do you want to make a family with your partner?	Yes	Maybe	No or n/a
4   Do you want to experience pregnancy and childbirth?	Yes	Maybe	No
5   Do you have any medical conditions that will make pregnancy risky for you or the baby?	No	Unsure	Yes

Is now the time?

Emotional Readiness

6   When you think about having a baby, do you feel mostly positive or mostly negative?	Positive	Unsure	Negative
7   Are you willing to take the best care of yourself while you are pregnant?	Yes	Maybe	No
8   Are you ready to make the compromises necessary to raise a child?	Yes	Maybe	No

Relationship Readiness

(single mothers skip this section and give yourself four extra points)

9   Is your relationship stable and loving?	Yes	Unsure	No
10   Do you and your partner both feel ready for children?	Yes	Unsure	No
11   Do you and your partner generally agree on who will care for the baby, and how taskes, including earning a salary, will be distributed between you?	Yes	Unsure	No

Your Job

12   How will your working conditions affect your ability to safely carry a pregnancy?	No problem	Unsure	May be a problem
13   How will pregnancy and motherhood affect your career?	No problem	Unsure	Negatively
14   Do you have successful pregnant or parenting role models at work?	Yes	Sort of	No
15   Is your workplace family friendly?	Yes	Sort of	No

Childcare Options

16   Do you have a good support system for after the baby comes?	Yes	Sort of	No
17   Have you thought about how you (or your partner) will arrange for children, and what childcare options are available to you given your financial situation and personal beliefs?	Yes	Sort of	No

Finances

18   Are you financially ready to have a child?	Yes	Unsure	No
19   Do you have paid maternity leave?	Yes	Unsure	No
20   Does your health insurance cover prenatal care?	Yes	Unsure	No

 Your Health

21   Are you healthy enough to have a baby now, or do you need to make some changes?	Healthy enough	Unsure	Not healthy
22   Do medical problems or a history of a difficult pregnancy make it likely that you will have pregnancy complications?	No	Unsure	Yes
23   Have you had a preconception appointment with your doctor or midwife?	Yes		No

Parental Age

24   How old are you?	Over 38	32-38	Under 32
25   How old is your partner? (skip and score as one point if not applicable)	Over 45	35-45	Under 35

 

Scoring:

Give yourself two points for every A answer, one for each B, and none for each C.

35-52: Time to get moving!

21-35: In the “negotiation phase.”

Less than 20: Not ready.