Looking to the Future

'Who is your Obstetrician?'. This question came to me from my pilates instructor when I was six weeks pregnant. I had barely conceived at this time. I was recovering from the shock of an unplanned pregnancy. I was still hungover from my trip overseas where 'the incident' occurred. When I responded that I hadn't thought that far ahead, she looked at me as though I had just said 'Doctors are for wimps'. Apparently all the good Obstetricians get snatched up and and some are unable to take new patients.

So the next day I plucked a name from the list of recommendations she had given me and rang in a panic hoping someone would take me on. I was in luck, this OB was taking new patients. 'What hospital would you like to give birth at?' asked the midwife. Did I have to decide that now? Maybe she hadn't heard me when I said I was only six weeks along. I was given two choices and I picked the one with hospital in the title to be safe. Tick, done. I had an OB and a hospital. Now I could sit back and enjoy my morning sickness in peace.

'Have you put your name down for childcare?'. This question came to me from a client when I was 17 weeks pregnant. What a strange question I thought. I was still figuring out how I was going to care for the child. I was planning to take a year off work, I had months and months before childcare needed to be considered. So, I put it off and put it off, determined to survive the birth first. Once my son was born the question became more frequent. Perfect strangers with raw concern in their voices began to ask me. So once again I panicked, and feeling like a terrible mother, I walked into my local ABC with my 4 week old son and asked about services for the following year. I was told about the waiting list. I was told it would be months before I would know whether I had a spot. She asked me how many days a week, which days, what date I was starting back. I was still healing from an episiotomy and trying to remember my pelvic floor exercises so I didn't wee myself. I couldn't think about work.

'What school will he be going to?'. Dear God, does this never end? Surprise, there are waiting lists for all the good private schools. Apparently public schools are no longer an option. Better start saving even though I have no idea where we will be living then or how much money we will be making. If we have three children do we just send our favourite to private so that we can afford to feed the other two?

I better go and start looking at some retirement options so that when this question comes next week, I'll have all the answers.