Before you take the plunge, you and your partner may find it helpful to ask yourselves these questions:
Are you both equally committed to becoming parents?
Have you thought through how you'll handle childcare responsibilities and balancing work and family?
Are you ready to give up sleeping in on Sundays or line up a babysitter every time you want to go out without your baby?
Have you thought about how becoming parents may change you, and your relationships with those closest to you?
Are you prepared for the possibility that your child may have special needs?
If you have religious differences, have you discussed how they will affect your child?
Having a baby won't just have a small impact on your life, it's going to shift the centre of your universe. Some new parents find this a shock. Think about how you'll feel, how you usually cope with change, and how you can prepare yourself for the highs (and lows) of parenthood.