Include Your Partner In Your Pregancy
Including your partner in your pregnancy will help you feel more secure about what is going on and make your partner feel less left out while you experience the many wonderful things you are about to go through. Granted, there are going to be parts of your pregnancy that both you and your partner could be left out of, but their involvement will help you through those times as well. Here are a few great ways to ensure that your partner is getting the most out of this pregnancy as well as yourself.
You are going to have many doctor appointments, ultrasounds and tests that need to be done over the next nine months. Invite your partner to join you for these appointments. From about eight weeks on, you and your partner will get to hear your baby's heartbeat at each regular appointment. The ultrasound is going to be the first time you see your baby, so your partner's attendance is a wonderful way for both of you to share this time.
Keep the lines of communication open. Discuss all of the feelings that you are having and encourage him to share his feelings as well. You are likely going to go through a wide array of emotions over the next several months, and not sharing them with each other can cause both of you emotional difficulties.
Discuss what kind of parenting techniques you want to use once the baby comes. Are you going to co-sleep with your little one? Are you going to breastfeed your baby? Are you going to work outside of the house? If so, are you going to use a nanny or a daycare facility? Discussing these things beforehand will help you both find a technique that you can both agree on.
Do not try to hide your discomforts or your pleasures from your partner. Share the best and the worst of times with them so they know exactly what you are going through. He may not have to feel the nausea or the aches and pains, but him knowing that you are uncomfortable will help him appreciate what you are going through.
Do as much shopping for the baby as possible together. Getting out and looking at all of the adorable baby clothes and toys as well as the necessary furniture could help you both bond. This way, you can both have a say in what you are going to buy for your baby. Decorating the baby's nursery together will be something that you remember for the rest of your lives.
Create a pregnancy book that you both take the time to fill up. Include pictures of events that you attended while pregnant, the ultrasound pictures, descriptions of what you are feeling and any other memories that you will one day cherish. Seeing what each of you has to enter into the book will be a great thing for your entire family to look back on one day.
Your partner will never get to feel how a baby growing inside you feels, but you can do at least this much to allow them to feel included in the pregnancy. Use these tips as well as any other ideas you might have to make this a wonderful event for your entire family.
