NORFOLK, Va. (WVEC) -- Being new parents can be a stressful, but an exciting time in a couple's life.
Connie and John Edwards know that preparation is the key to making it a successful time, also.
The Edwardses had their second child about four months ago. While they felt ready for her to arrive, they wish they had more time away from work to spend with her.
Connie's employer offered her six weeks of unpaid maternity leave. John's company offered no paternity leave.
"It seems like a very progressive idea, paternity leave, and maybe our jobs haven't caught up to current culture," John said. "I'm sure in the future it'll come, and it'll be offered. Of course, it would be nice to have, and if it was there I would've taken it."
The Edwardses had family support, but for a young couple with little or no family around them, becoming new parents could be overwhelming.
"You also run into situations where you have younger couples who maybe haven't been in a job for as long and don't have as much vacation saved like I did," Connie told 13News Now.
The Edwardses feel that one year with a newborn would be ideal, or about six months for each parent.
John said, "The maturity of your child at a year compared to 6 weeks, which would be theoretically the minimum for some families, is just light years apart."
"I think the best piece of advice I can give is don't underestimate what it will take," Connie said, referring to the arrival of a baby.