ICYMI: The moment I realised I wanted to become a mother was also the moment it occurred to me that I wasn’t in a financial position to afford a baby. | OPINION by Mary Madigan
Maternity leave options also don’t bring me much comfort because I would have to return to work once that runs out. But, the cost of childcare, which averages between $77 to $188 a day, would make working almost fruitless. Even more depressingly, I couldn’t afford to pay rent and for childcare on my salary, the maths simply doesn’t add up. So, what do I do?
There are two options. I accept the limitations of my economic reality and surge ahead regardless. I have a child and muddle through it and pray mycan help fill in some gaps. I can keep my fingers crossed that my wage and my partner’s slowly increase over time and that, eventually, we will end up financially stable. However, the gender pay gap in Australia still sits at 13.
No one warned me that my desire to have a child would be tied to how much I had in my savings account. Then there’s the other option: to wait. Put off having a baby until I’ve progressed further in my career. I can, hopefully, work towards making a wage big enough that allows me to save while still paying staggering weekly rent. Maybe I could move in with my in-laws for a year or so to start? But, if I wait, a baby isn’t a guarantee; fertility can be different for every woman. I’ve been at enough dinner parties where women have warned me that I might miss the boat altogether if I wait too long.
That’s the other thing. I feel an overpowering sense of shame. Why can’t I afford to have a baby? What have I done wrong? Should I have spent less money on clothes and drinks in my earlier 20s? Or are the odds just stacked against me? No one warned me that my desire to have a child would be tied to how much I had in my savings account.
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