The Pregnant Dad: What to Do When Your Partner is

The Pregnant Dad: What to Do When Your Partner is Expecting

Pregnancy is a time of great joy and great stress for a lot of expectant couples. Many couples struggle to adjust to this new development while juggling the demands of their job, keeping the household running, and family life. When a woman is pregnant, she is the center of everyone’s attention, all wanting to be part of this miraculous process of giving life. Unfortunately, this time can also leave their male partners feeling left out in the cold.

Many men feel overwhelmed when faced with a pregnant partner. They begin to worry not only about the financial aspect of having children, but also of its impact on their lives as a couple as well as to his own time and space. He may have some concerns about being a good parent, especially if he has issues with his own parents or his childhood. He may also feel bewildered at his partner’s changing moods as she endures the aches and pains of pregnancy. With hindsight, it seems to many men that the easiest (an the most pleasurable) thing seems to be getting the woman pregnant.

Pregnancy should be a shared experience. Men must remember that the...