Seems strange, right?  You’re up to your eyeballs in diapers, bottles and binkies, and we are asking you to think about saving for retirement. But it’s important to not lose sight of your future even while you’re completely absorbed in the present. In fact, looking forward to your golden years may be the one thing that gets you through some of those middle-of-the-night feedings.

Consider the statistics about how much it costs over time to add a baby to your family.  Be forewarned, it  generates expenses at a level that can take your breath away. The U.S. Department of Agriculture publishes an annual estimate on the Expenditures on Children by Families from birth through age 17. According to the most recent study, the average annual cost of two middle-income ($40,700 to $68,400 annual income) parents raising one child is almost $10,000 per year, for a total of $178,590 over 18 years. And the more money the parents make, the more money they’re likely to spend on their child: a two-parent household with an annual income of over $68,400 will spend an average of over $14,400 per year to get their darling from birth through high school, for a total of $261,270. And then there are college costs on top of that. That can run $20,000 to $150,000 for a four-year education, depending on the school.

It’s obvious that whatever your income level is, a large chunk of it will be redirected toward your child. You’ll make some adjustments to your budget, shuffling money from one category to another, forgoing certain items (a brand new sports car) in favor of others (used minivan), and making personal sacrifices (a thermos of coffee from home rather than a $4 latte at work). It’s important, however, not to let this focus on the baby cause you to lose sight of your own financial future. It may feel a little selfish at first, but your children will be pleased that Mom and Dad have a comfortable retirement—they’ll look forward to visiting on the holidays with their kids.

Find other areas where you can scrimp, save, cut back or do without before drastically altering your retirement plans. Drop the health club membership and take the baby for long walks instead. Shop for baby clothes at discount stores, thrift stores, or outlets—your baby won’t know the difference, but your budget will.

If you participate in your employer’s 401(k) plan, continue your contributions. Try to continue to defer money at the same level if you can, or at the highest level you can reasonably afford. It helps if you put your retirement savings in the same category as other creditors you pay each month, like your mortgage holder, landlord, or utility companies. It’s a necessity, not a luxury.

And while you’re at it, start funding for your child’s college education with the same mindset. There are numerous ways to fund a college education today—including prepaid tuition plans (availability varies by state), U.S. savings bonds, home equity loans, and Section 529 plans (which allow parents, relatives and friends to contribute to a tax-advantaged account earmarked for tuition expenses). Any kind of arrangement where you can pay for these things through payroll savings or automatic bank account transfer makes it simple and more secure than trying to remember to do it regularly on your own. Explore the possibilities offered by IRAs, both traditional and Roth IRAs, too. Both offer tax-advantaged ways to save money for retirement or other long-term needs, and are readily available from banks and other financial institutions.

If you have to cut back on your retirement savings, promise yourself that it will only be a short-term solution to your current cash flow situation. Vow to make small but regular incremental increases to your savings to bring it back up to the level you need to achieve your long-term financial goals. These baby-step increases will hardly make a dent in your wallet or lifestyle, and will keep your retirement plans on track. It’s important to keep the momentum going in your retirement savings.  Keep making contributions to your savings and let the effects of compounding bring you closer to your goals.  With your money working for you, you may be able to sleep soundly at night—until the baby wakes you.