Daddy's day out

Bond with your baby before he arrives

This is the time for you to step up as a father and support your wife during her pregnancy. However, it is likely that you do not fully comprehend what the mother of your child is experiencing during her pregnancy.

You may feel as if you will not connect with your wife and will not know what you can do for her if you do not go through the pregnancy yourself. Being prepared for some of your partner's issues and stressors is an excellent way to maintain connection with her and your child. During pregnancy, it is common to focus on a woman's physical changes rather than her emotional and hormonal changes. Here are some tips to help dads prepare for the big day.

Show consideration

The most important thing is to be considerate of your pregnant partner, who will be physically and mentally unsettled. Accept that housework will not be completed; instead, take the initiative and lend a helping hand around the house. While you may be busy, remember that the most important thing right now is to cooperate and encourage the expectant mother so she can have a healthy baby. If you smoke, try not to do so in the same room. A supportive father is the single most important source of happiness for an expectant mother.

Give her a feet rub

Foot massage is an excellent stress reliever because it not only relieves stress but also provides some private time to discuss issues.

Show interest

Okay, you may be discussing the baby's name for the 1000th time, but always show interest. This could save both of you. Dump one or two soccer matches or have them recorded to watch later, but make time for important appointments and workshops.

Clean the bathroom

This may appear to be low on priority, but you wouldn't let her puke in a filthy toilet, would you?

Remain calm

She could be sick to her stomach, tired all the time, giddy, depressed, ravenous, completely without appetite, glad, mad, sad, or just plain miserable. Her ankles and breasts may swell and ache. Her back could hurt, and she could develop new allergies. She may also blame you in secret for her condition, especially if you don't show any sympathy for her. Your job is to show her you care in a calm way and resist the urge to brush off her problems and bad feelings.

Read her a book

There will be nights when she will not be able to sleep; be a good father and tuck her in or read her a book until she falls asleep. Consider it foreplay before reading your baby to sleep.

Love is in the air

Return to the places where you first fell in love with her; take her to the location where you proposed to her; take her to a restaurant to keep the romance alive. Always make her feel special; more than anything else, she needs your presence and attention right now.

Feel the baby

You've heard it before, "Just put your hand right here…". She suddenly reports that the baby has stopped moving. Try resting your hand on her belly while watching TV or lying in bed. The longer you leave your hand there, the more likely you will be rewarded with the thumps and flutters she craves.

Get ready to be a dad!

By the time the third trimester arrives, you'll have gone from expectant to full-time dad in a flash. Pregnancy is only a small part of a father-son or daughter relationship's life. Your true role in this pregnancy is to prepare to be a major player in the family and to take personal leadership in raising your new child.

Meanwhile, think about the kind of father you want to be, the values you want to instil in your child, and the lessons you want to teach your child. By the time your baby is born, you will be a different person with a different outlook on life. After all, at the end of this process, two will have become three.