Becoming a father is just as exciting and wonderful as it is for your wife. You may be feeling anxious about becoming a father and have no idea how to react. Yet, you need to be aware of the fact that your partner will be carrying your baby for the next 9 months in her womb. She will be suffering morning sickness, severe back pain, sleepless nights, and exhaustion. As a father-to-be, your main responsibilities will be to show support and help your loved one during the 9 months of pregnancy, labor, and delivery. Read on to find out how to support your spouse during pregnancy, labor, and delivery.
Go to doctor appointments together
Your pregnant wife’s doctor appointments are just something you can’t miss. Going to the doctor appointments together with her is really important to show your support and commitment. You will be hearing your baby’s heartbeat for the first time and see the first images of him or her. Those are really special moments for a couple that is about to become parents. Thus, your wife should not be experiencing these unique moments alone but rather with you by her side holding hands tight.
Take responsibility for the house chores
Pregnancy can be really exhausting for mothers-to-be. Morning sickness and insomnia can really drain all energy out of their bodies. Thus, they really need to be able to get some extra sleep and rest for a healthy pregnancy.
However, with no one else to take care of the house chores such as cleaning or cooking, your wife will most likely try to do these tasks on her own which can really put your baby’s and her wellbeing in danger. Once again, you need to show your support and take care of the house chores to let her rest. It may be difficult to do everything on your own, especially when you are working all day long. However, you should at least try to allow your wife to sleep longer during weekends while you are cleaning the house or preparing breakfast.
Understand her cravings
Having your wife waking you up in the middle of the night to ask you to go shopping for who knows what cake or fruit can be really frustrating. Pregnant women’s cravings can be really annoying when you have to go to the other part of the city to get your wife what she is asking for. However, you need to be aware that pregnant women don’t do this on purpose to annoy their partners.
Her requests may sound really disgusting and weird but if that is what she would like to eat, you have to help her get it. Don’t get mad on your wife for having absurd food requests and understand that her cravings are really unpleasant for her as well.
Always be there for her
Pregnancy can be really delicate both for mothers-to-be and for their partners. The hormones in your wife’s body may trigger a wide range of emotions and feelings that even she doesn’t know how to cope with. It may be easier to think that she is going crazy and leave the room whenever she starts talking nonsense. However, you have vowed to be next to her and show support no matter what she is going through and now it is the perfect time to do it. No matter what your wife is going through or what time of the day is, make sure you are easy to reach in case she needs your help or support.
Find ways to show your love and appreciation
Pregnant women often deal with many negative emotions such as anxiety, insecurity, fear, and sadness. While for some of those feelings you can blame the hormones, some of them are really genuine. The pregnancy is changing her entire appearance so she might feel insecure about the way she looks. Also, the worries for the moment when the baby will arrive can make her feel really anxious. Now is the best time to show emotional and mental support by showing her how much you love and support her.
Most women experience low self-esteem during pregnancy because of how their body appearance changes. Make sure your wife knows that you are still attracted to her and that you still love her with small loving gestures. Buy her flowers beautifully decorated with floristry ribbon, take her out for dinner, or surprise her with an “I love you” text in the middle of the day. During pregnancy, you need to make sure that you keep her moral and optimism high during these challenging times.
Help her in labor
First rule: stay calm! Most dads have no idea what labor is going to be like except for what they have seen in movies. Your spouse will be feeling a lot of pain and anxiety so it may be really difficult for her to think things straight during labor. However, no matter how excited you may be for your baby’s arrival, you must remain calm and make sure you stick to the delivery plan. You must be prepared to take your wife to the hospital and bring her all the necessary things she has packed for this day. Once you arrive at the hospital, don’t run away in the hallway as soon as the baby is about to come but rather stay by your wife’s side and show her all the support she needs. Here are a few tips to help your wife face labor pain and stress easier:
- Remind her to breath
- Be her advocate and answer the doctor’s questions
- Monitor and time the contractions
- Hold her hand
- Talk to her
Take your wife and baby home from the hospital
After 9 months of pregnancy, labor, and delivery, you can finally hold your baby for the first time. After your wife’s recovery and your baby’s birth immediate care, it is now time to take your baby and your wife home from the hospital and start a new chapter of your life as parents.