As a new grandparent, I began to build a list of the new financial things my son and his partner should consider now that their baby has arrived. So, I figured it would be helpful to share this checklist with you as well. Ideally, you should consider and action some of the things listed here in the first few months of pregnancy. 1. Decide on Your Maternity and Paternity Leave What kind of leave can we take and for how long? Mothers get at least 15 weeks of maternity leave, some of which can be taken before the baby is due. This varies slightly from province to province. In Alberta, for example, maternity leave lasts up to 16 weeks and can start as early as 13 weeks before the mother’s estimated due date. After the maternity leave period, parents are also able to take up to 62 weeks of parental leave. Parental leave is flexible and can be taken by the birth mother (after the maternity leave period), the othe...