Many women would like the opportunity to enjoy and spend the early years of their baby's life with them, rather than returning to work and have someone else look after their baby.
Granted, there are some who just have to go to work as they have no support and need the income.
But for others, with a bit of planning, staying home with the baby is possible, without a lot of financial pressure.
Here are a few suggestions to help make it happen.
1) Plan and save Ideally, it would be great to plan everything but we know at times life just doesn't go that way.
All the same, women who want to be stay home moms should have a plan of when they'll have kids and start preparing.
I'm actually going to advise my daughter that as soon as she starts working, she must start a baby fund.
If she saves every month, the money quickly adds up and by the time she starts her family, there's a tidy amount for her to be a stay home mom, if she so wishes.
2) Passive income streams Setting up passive income streams before starting a family will ensure that you have steady funds coming in even when you're not actively working.
Find something that you enjoy so that you don't burn out quickly before your effort pays off e.
g internet marketing, real estate etc.
3) A Supportive Partner A partner who also wants the mother of his children to be home with them will happily do the lion's share of bringing the income.
It's would be great to be with someone who is supportive and won't expect you to go back to work soon after the baby's home.
So ladies, if you really want to stay home, discuss this with your partner now and make him understand how important this is to you.
Do not assume that he knows what you want if you haven't told him.
Otherwise you may be disappointed when he thinks you should take the child to a daycare and go back to work.
4) Be frugal Learn to be frugal.
If you scour the internet, you'll find lots of tips on how to budget, how to shop using coupons, preparing budget meals, how to keep your energy bill low etc.
The idea is to keep your expenditure as low as possible so that you can stretch the amount of time you can be home.
5) Work from home If you really have to bring in some income, working from home is a great option.
With the advent of the internet, there are lots of opportunities to work from home.
Search for companies hiring remote workers, learn internet marketing and sell a product or service on your website.
You can also earn commissions by promoting other people's products as an affiliate.
If you have a particular skill such as writing or graphic design, freelancing is also an option.
Just beware of scams on the internet.
Investigate thoroughly before you buy anything.