The to-do list for expecting parents can be daunting and stressful. It’s such an exciting time in your life but you may feel bombarded by everything you have to get done. Try not to let the stress of your responsibilities steal the joy of this amazing experience. Here’s a brief list of the major things that should be priority.

1. Choose an OB-GYN, if you don’t already have one established. You’ll get to know your doctor very well with many visits in your future so be sure you’re comfortable with their care.
2. Choose a facility for child care in Gainesville or make arrangements for your child if returning to work. Many places offer tours and testimonials from current families.
3. Choose a Pediatrician. Some doctors will allow prenatal office visits if you have specific questions or feelings about vaccinations, etc. Often times, there isn’t much you need to do until the baby is born and the hospital notifies the doctor for their rounds.
4. Create a registry for all of the items you’ll need. Babies may be small but they come with lots of gear! It’ll be more beneficial to you for your friends and family to get what you like.
5. Look into the necessities you need such as a crib, changing table, rocking/feeding chair, car seat and stroller.
6. Take some kind of birthing classes either at the hospital, online or on DVD. There are many courses that are very informative on labor/delivery as well as newborn care and breastfeeding. Both hospitals in Gainesville, North Florida Regional Medical Center and UF Health, offer a variety of resources and classes. For more information about the parenting classes at North Florida and childbirth classes at UF Health, check out the links provided.
7. Last but not least, make arrangements for health insurance for your baby. There isn’t much you can do prior to giving birth, except for educating yourself on what options are available to get the best coverage for the best price. You’ll then have up to 30 days after the baby’s arrival to get a policy that will be effective back to their birth day.

Expecting mom, Kacey Anderson, shares her experience of researching health insurance options for her child.

Does your child currently have a policy with Healthy Kids or Florida Kid Care?

Effective October 1^st, many Healthy Kids (also known as Florida Kid Care) premiums are increasing substantially. If your child currently has coverage through Florida Kid Care, they qualify to change to an individual policy, or be added to a family  policy,  before Open Enrollment on November 1st. Since this qualifies for Special Enrollment, coverage can take effect the first day of the following month, no matter when you apply. For example, you can obtain coverage on September 30th and the policy will take affect on October 1st. As with any Special Enrollment event, you have 60 days  from the “event” to qualify for Special Enrollment. With rate increases taking effect October 1st, you will have until the end of November to qualify for special enrollment coverage. Keep in mind, traditional Open Enrollment begins November 1st, so it may be worth weighing your options. Complete the information below to get in touch with an agent to discuss your child’s health care options.

Interested in receiving a health insurance quote for your child?

Most of the individual plans available available for children will have comparable coverage, co pays and the same network of providers. If you have multiple children, you can look into adding them to your family plan or each child can have their own individual policy. Regardless, we just need the child’s full name, date of birth and zip code for quoting.

If you’re interested in learning more about individual health insurance policies for children, here’s a quick 1 minute video