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Money, Marriage and Medicine

Some Things to Think About

By Jessica Frank

Tanya and Michael planned carefully for a pregnancy. At first, they experienced the stress of a chemical pregnancy and then five months of trying before the stick showed positive. "The challenge of getting pregnant and the future challenges of raising a child together have brought us even closer," she says.

Medically Speaking

Do you have access to good medical care? Get ready for the next nine months to be filled with aiming well for a urine sample and waiting for hours in a crowded waiting room. Pregnancy is all about patience. You need to have a calendar handy and be ready to drop everything to get to those appointments. Prenatal care is essential for a healthy baby. Once you see your baby waving to you on that ultrasound machine, you'll know that it's all been worth it.

"It's important to have good medical care right from the start in order to have a healthy baby," says Elaine Rubin, a nurse practitioner in New York. "Prenatal care lowers your chances of having a baby with problems."

Finding the "right" doctor is important, too. "It's important to find a doctor that you feel comfortable asking intimate questions," says Himes. "Research carefully and find one that you trust."

So you have ways of saving money, you can handle stress, and you are ready to give up Saturday nights out. You found a great doctor and someone to watch the baby while you go back to work. What now? Throw away that birth control, get out your ovulation predictor kit, and let the games begin.

*Names have been changed to protect privacy.

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