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Is there ever a perfect time to have a baby? If you talk to 10 different mothers you'll to get 10 different stories about how they decided to get pregnant -- but it's still worth asking.

"It's a good idea to take a look at practical considerations, like how a baby will (or won't) fit into your work life, your financial situation, etc. – before trying to get pregnant," says Meagan Francis, author of "The Everything Health Guide to Postpartum Care" and leader of a support groups for women adjusting to motherhood at becoming-mothers.com.

First consider your own special circumstances. Some questions you might ask yourself include:

• How does my partner feel about it?...

Is there ever a perfect time to have a baby? If you talk to 10 different mothers you'll to get 10 different stories about how they decided to get pregnant -- but it's still worth asking.

"It's a good idea to take a look at practical considerations, like how a baby will (or won't) fit into your work life, your financial situation, etc. – before trying to get pregnant," says Meagan Francis, author of "The Everything Health Guide to Postpartum Care" and leader of a support groups for women adjusting to motherhood at becoming-mothers.com.

First consider your own special circumstances. Some questions you might ask yourself include:

• How does my partner feel about it?
• How flexible is my career? Will it allow me to create a work arrangement that will suit my family and myself?
• Will I be able to fit some extras like diapers and daycare into my budget?
• How old am I? Is time of the essence in my family planning?

Then talk to as many mothers as you can who are parenting under circumstances similar to your own. Adding a baby to your budget might seem daunting but talking to someone parenting in your income bracket can help put aside some of your fears. Or if you're contemplating single motherhood, other single moms can give you the inside scoop on the challenges and the rewards.

Francis adds, "It's possible to over-plan too. If everyone waited until the absolute perfect time to have a child, nobody would ever have one."

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