Having a child is one of the biggest decisions that you will make in your life. This is a choice that will change your life forever. Many parents consider the decision to have a child to be one of the best ones they have ever made.

Other parents find themselves wishing they had waited, had fewer children, or made different family planning decisions. Here are some considerations to help you make the right decisions for you in family planning.

When You Consider Having Children

Any parent will tell you that there isn’t any perfect time to have kids. Life is busy and there are always reasons not to have a child yet. Putting off starting a family until “things calm down” generally isn’t realistic. The truth is that the timing probably won’t ever seem perfect to bring a child into the world or to start a family by adoption or other means.

On the other hand, having a child is a huge decision that shouldn’t be taken lightly. The best way to decide when to have children is to try to organize a life plan, either by yourself if you are a single person or with your partner. Try basing your decision of whether to have children on concrete plans in your life, such as when you reach a certain savings goal, finished school, or gotten a promotion that you expect in the future.

By setting realistic time frames around events that really will happen in your life, you can prepare to have a child without setting yourself up for an impossible goal that may keep you from having children at all.

When You Consider Not Having Children

You may already have a couple of kids and are trying to decide whether you want more. You may also be considering not having children at any point in your life. If you are tired of traditional contraception techniques, you may be considering more permanent birth control methods.

Both men and women can opt for a more permanent form of contraception, men by choosing vasectomy, and women by getting a tubal ligation. Both of these semi-permanent techniques for birth control have very high success rates and low risks. They can also be reversed with a vasectomy reversal or tuboplasty. Since these are such impactful decisions, it is best to be very educated on your options before taking each step in the process.

It can be very hard to decide whether you are done having children or that you shouldn’t have children at all. If you have a medical condition that makes it dangerous for you to have children or a genetic condition that could be passed on to your children, a more permanent birth control method may be a good option for you.

If you and your partner have both agreed that you don’t want more children or any children and you have felt confident of this decision for some time, a more permanent solution may also be wise. However, if either you or your partner have any doubts whatsoever about whether you want children in the future or not, it’s best to stick with a temporary form of birth control so that you don’t make a decision you may regret.

When Deciding Whether to Have Another Child

If you already have one child or a couple of children, you may have some significant debate about whether to bring more children into the world. No one can decide whether more children are a good idea besides you and your partner if you have one. However, there are some considerations to keep in mind when deciding whether another child is a good idea:

• Is everyone in the family on board? You may assume that your partner or children will love the new baby once it is born, and this may be true, but it is still not a good idea to bring a new baby into the family if the current family members aren’t in agreement about the idea. Have in-depth conversations with your current children and anyone else in the family to decide whether a new child is the right choice.
• Can you provide for the new baby? As romantic as it may be to think that all a child needs is love, in fact, they need a lot more. Make sure that you can financially care for a new baby without sacrificing your current quality of life and while still providing well for the rest of your family.

Make Good Decisions in Family Planning

It can be very difficult to make the right choice when it comes to deciding whether and when to have a child. Whether you want to have your own baby or adopt, opening up your home to a new family member is a huge decision.

Make sure that you are at a good time in your life to have a child and that everyone in your family is on board before making the decision. If you believe that you are ready to stop having children or don’t want to have children at all, make sure that you are completely confident of your decision before choosing a permanent birth control option.