1. Your child will be a mirror of oneself. Character traits (both positive and negative) will get back to you somehow. This also means that the example you give will have a profound impact the first few years 2. Accept that going to the movies, friends or restaurant spontaneously is out of the question. 3. Accept that some friends who you consider closest won't accept or understand the fact having children means [2] is not possible anymore (or at least not that easy) If you have a tendency to FOMO in a large social circle you're about to enter a world of pain.