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If the father of your child does want to be involved during your pregnancy, how can you involve him in your pregnancy when you are the one doing all the hard work, ya know, carrying a baby and all?
Below are some ways that an involved expectant father can support you during your pregnancy. Most of these suggestions will work regardless of what decision you ultimately make regarding parenting or placing your baby.
- He can help you out with any housekeeping duties around the house especially during your first and third trimesters of pregnancy, when fatigue is at its worst.
- He can help you with any heavy lifting, like bringing in the groceries.
- He can attend a childbirth education class with you.
- He can help you pack a bag and have it ready for when you go into labor. If he will be staying in the hospital with you, don’t forget to tell him to pack a few personal items for himself!
- He can rub your back or feet at night when they are tired and achy.
- He can listen to you vent emotionally as an unplanned pregnancy can be stressful with all the pregnancy related hormones you are already experiencing.
- Have him keep a list of important names and numbers of the people that you will want to contact when you go into labor and then he can make the calls for you when the time comes.
And if you are really lucky, maybe you can talk him into painting your toe nails when your belly is so big that you can’t reach your toes anymore! (It took a lot of convincing but I actually got my hubby to do this one. He’d probably shoot now for telling the world though!)
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More on Expectant Fathers and Birthfathers:
Expectant Fathers
One Birthmother’s Story of Birth Father Involvement
How to Tell Your Baby’s Dad you are Pregnant
Father’s Rights in Crisis Pregnancies
Birth Father Rights
