If you and your partner are both working and perhaps at the peak of your respective careers, who will take care of your child once he is born? Are you going to opt for a stay-at-home dad or mom, and simply let the other partner take over the finances while one of you takes care of the child full-time?

First of all, can you afford it? Secondly, how do you ensure that the one who stays at home or continues to work will not resent it eventually?

DECIDING ABOUT CHILD CARE

Before your child is born, you have to settle this so you can avoid as much stress as possible after he is born. Having a baby is a joy but the reality of staying up late at night and having only a couple of hours? sleep before you'd have to start your day is not going to be a picnic. Therefore, for your sanity's sake and the happiness of your baby, decide who gets to stay at home to take care of him.

If one parent decides to quit his/her career to be a stay-at-home parent, here are a few tips you can follow to ease you through the first few weeks.

1. Make everything accessible to you. If you don't have a wireless phone, get one. You do not want to go all the way to the next room to answer a ringing phone before the noise wakes up your sleeping child. Keep crackers, juice boxes, bread and a few other munchies within reach. You will not feel like cooking when you're just starting to get the hang of taking care of your baby. This will tide you over until your partner comes home to get you real food.

Also keep all the baby things you will be needing like milk and feeding bottles, diapers, rash cream, and others organized and within reach, too. The last thing you need is to frantically search for things when the baby's already crying his lungs out.

2. Sleep when your baby sleeps. At the start of your stay-at-home parenting, sleep once your child falls asleep. Don't use this opportunity to clean the house a little or do small chores. You will be needing your energy to get up in the middle of the night for feeding and nappy changes. Once you've got the hang of it, you can slowly start doing other things when your baby sleeps.

3. Have a little alone time. When your partner gets home, or when someone comes over to take over baby duties for awhile, take this opportunity to be alone for awhile to get your bearing and simply be quiet with your own thoughts. Take a stroll in the park or go to the library.

The important thing is to go somewhere quiet so you can have a little peace and quiet. Do not use this chance to make a quick trip to the grocery or the mall. This kind of activity is very tiring and you might be depriving yourself of a much-needed respite before you start on your baby duties again.