Established patterns for how work and leisure time are spent may no longer work after a baby is born. It is important that couples discuss their expectations for how much housework will be done and who will do it and how much childcare each spouse will do. Keep in mind that there is no predicting exactly what the most fair and satisfying compromises will be ahead of time. You will need to maintain an open dialogue about issues of caring for your baby and home. Another issue that can be particularly troublesome in couples where both partners are used to having income is how money will be managed.
Finances can be an emotional issue.
There is no right way to handle money in a family. You will want to think about how each partner will feel about either being the sole financial provider or about not contributing to family income. Discuss practical issues like who will make major purchasing decisions, how minor purchases like gas and groceries will be made and who will be accountable to whom. We usually end up sharing, regrouping and spending the money in a variety of ways, depending on our needs for the week, but it saves both of us from having to ask the other for money for lunch out or justifying small personal purchases. The stay at home parent and the employed parent will be living different lives with different advantages and disadvantages.