Melanie Raposo: Hi everybody! I'm Melanie Raposo and welcome to The Pregnancy Show. The cost of having a baby these days is very expensive. So one of the first things you need to think about before having a baby is, are you financially ready? Well today we're breaking down the cost for you and a financial expert gives us great advice on how to budget before the baby comes?

Laurie Campbell: Well used, well understood a line of credit is certainly a low interest rate, or a low interest way of accumulating debt. The bottom line though is, if you're tempted to use it, just because you have it, don't get it.

You try to work within the budget that you have, this is really the end of the day all you have anyway, you may have to use credit to supplement during certain periods of time but the bottom line is that has to be paid back and it has to paid back with interest.

So, if you can work within your budget and try to curb the debt during this time, it will help you set up a very good, strong financial future because as children get older their expenses get greater and you know one thing with the babies is that you've got a few items that they need. Whether they start getting into all the sport activities and all the after school activities and the cost of actually providing food and shelter etcetera for a growing child. The cost are going to get greater. You certainly don't want to be relying on credit to bridge those cost.