Is Your Partner Expecting? Here’s Four Things you NEED to know!
When your partner is expecting a baby it can be hard to know what your role is as the ‘other’ parent. It can often feel as though you may have the easy road, seeing as you’re not doing any of the heavy lifting, per say.
While it can be hard to adjust to the fact that soon you’ll be becoming three (or four, if expecting twins), there are ways you can help support your pregnant partner for the duration of her pregnancy.
1) Match your lifestyles
Now that your partner is expecting, they have probably made some lifestyle changes. This involves cutting out some food from their diet, not smoking or drinking, and taking life just that little bit easier when it comes to physical exuberance. Of course, seeing as you’re not actually growing a baby inside you it may seem like you are still ok to do all of the aforementioned. However, it’s always good to show some support (afterall, your partner is literally growing a human in her belly) so why not try cutting down on alcohol intake, or adjust your diet to match hers. It’s the little things that can help to make a big difference in easing this 9 month journey.
2) Know your stuff
Nobody expects you to be an expert when it comes to pregnancy, but it is important to stay informed and know of any warning signs throughout the pregnancy. Should your partner encounter any complications it would be great if you knew how to deal with them in an efficient manner and make timely decisions. This means not having to Google anything at the last minute to figure out what’s going on.
3) Listen to her (even if baby brain means she repeats herself…)
With pregnancy comes hormones by the bucket load! This means your partner’s mood can fluctuate immensely. Should you find yourself confronted with a crying, ranting, upset, angry or hurt pregnant partner it’s important to understand her body is producing a lot of hormones making her have mixed emotions. Sit back, make plenty of eye contact, and listen to all of her woes. Even if it means said anger or upset is directed at you (she doesn’t mean it…).
4) Compliments are key
It’s no news to anybody that when you are expecting, you gain weight. You are growing a mini human inside of you after all! Weight gain combined with an influx of those hormones we’ve mentioned can mean your other half is feeling extra sensitive towards her weight. While it might sound shallow, it’s important you, as her loving partner, boost her confidence and compliment her regularly. Tell her she’s glowing, we don’t know why but pregnant ladies really seem to love that one! Of course don’t remain purely superficial, reassuring her she’s going to be an excellent mother is also a great way to heighten her self esteem and relax her in those panic moments.