Having a baby is by far one of the most exciting and joyous things that any two people can go through in their lives. It can also be just as stressful and completely terrifying for a lot of people. Both of these feelings are totally natural and are nothing to worry about. After all, having a baby is a lot of work, and it’s important that you’re aware of the ways in which you’re life is going to change because of it. Now, these changes aren’t necessarily for the worse or for, the better, but it’s still important that you’re aware of them and that you get ready for them, so you’re not caught off guard. With that in mind, here are some changes that you can expect when it’s time for your family to get bigger.

Your home

When it’s just you and your partner, you really don’t need that much room at all. All you really need is a place to eat, a place to sleep, and a place to watch TV. Sure, everyone has different needs when it comes to space, but it’s very easy to compromise on those things when it’s just the two of you. However, a baby takes up more room than you would ever expect. Sure, they’re pretty small (at first at least!) but the sheer amount of stuff that comes with them often makes a smaller house or apartment feel incredibly cramped. It might be a good idea to start looking at homes for sale that have a little bit more space well before your due date. The baby will obviously need their own room after a certain point, but you should really think about things like a yard for them to play in and space for storing the hundreds upon hundreds of toys that they will accumulate over the years.

Your car

You might be in love with your old rustbucket of a car, but when you have a baby, your priorities tend to shift. Suddenly things like an emotional attachment to your car, or a desire for a super powerful engine are less important than the safety of the incredibly precious cargo that you’re carrying. Not only that but, once again, the issue of space is going to come up. You need to be able to fit a car seat, a pram, a diaper bag, and whatever other supplies that you’re almost certainly going to need. Trying to cram all of that into a mini can be a pretty serious challenge.

Your work

Just because you’ve become a parent doesn’t mean that you suddenly have to give up on your job or stop caring about it. After all, you’re still your own person, and that’s not going to change just because you’ve had a baby. However, it’s undeniable the ways in which your priorities shift when you do have a baby, and you may find that you don’t want to spend every night doing overtime in the office. This might have an impact on your income, but it’s important that you balance what it is that you consider to be most important in your life.