“It is important to make sure you and your partner(s) are also on the same page when it comes to big issues—such as finances, discipline, schooling, space, and religion—when it comes to the children,” she adds. All of these things ought to be discussed with your partner before you come to a decision. It’s also important to consider the health of both parents, adds Mary Jane Minkin, M.D., an OB-GYN and clinical professor at Yale University. She explains that when it comes to fertility, age is indeed a factor (especially for the person becoming pregnant), and there are a number of things you can do to ensure you and your body are prepared for pregnancy. (More on that later.) If you genuinely don’t feel like you have to have a baby but both of you do want one, that’s a sign you’re truly ready. After all, even if you want to have a baby, sometimes the body says otherwise—but if you’re proactively taking steps to care for and prepare your body, Minkin says that’s another factor to consider yourself ready to have a baby. This ties back to the third point, but ultimately, it comes down to assessing your intentions for having a baby. If they don’t feel pure, you’re not ready.
