[Kevin]

Find out whether your state requires you to pay for the costs related to the birth. Some states force the father to reimburse the state or the mother for those costs. Also, figure out what child support is going to cost. Start saving ASAP for the birth if you have to pay for it. It ain't cheap.

As for figuring up child support, you can usually find an online calculator, just run this search in Google and you should get something:

[yourstatenamehere] & "Child Support Calculator"

It is not always automatic that mom gets custody, so she might even be paying you depending on how things turn out.

If you're not getting married, see if y'all can't agree to some sort of visitation schedule. Many states have different visitation schedules for newborns. I think that's complete BS of course. If mom's breastfeeding, buy her a pump so the kid won't starve during your time and things should be a-okay. Were I in your shoes, I'd be shooting for *immediate* 50/50 time and whatever species of joint custody the state has which leaves neither parent with superior rights to make the major decisions in the kid's life.

Your lawyer can give you the specifics on how to accomplish things... just realize that the sky is pretty much the limit as to what you can agree to with your babymomma. Work with her and develop a good, non-adversarial parenting relationship with her. Demand that she respect your rights as a parent, but go out of your way to respect hers as well. Parents who can't agree on simple, simple things pay my bills, so remember that your goal is to someday put your kid through college -- not put your lawyer's kid through college.