So we've gotten past that moment when you find out that you're becoming a daddy. Congratulations by the way! Becoming a dad is amazing and you're going to be great at it! Now, you are a few months away from the birth of your child, and it can seem like plenty of time, but trust me the time flies. Start preparing as early as possible because it will dramatically help reduce stress. Your job is to prepare! Prepare yourself, prepare your finances, prepare your living space, prepare as much as you can. Trust me when I say, the more diligently you prepare now, the easier your life will be as you approach the birth.
The clock is ticking my friend and you have less than 9 months to be ready for a big change. This is the biggest audible of your life but if you're reading the defense correctly, you'll nail this play and score big time! And by score I mean earn the love and respect of your partner and family by showing that you're a good man and father.
So what do you mean when you say prepare your mind? I believe the more you know ahead of time, the less surprised you'll be when things happen and the better you will respond in the heat of the moment. First and foremost, your partner may or may not realize that her hormones are changing rapidly and that can affect her mood. That means she could be usually calm, unusually sad or usually quick to fly off the handle (and women who have been pregnant fully admit their emotions and hormones are out of whack during pregnancy). Why is this so important?! Because you must learn to read between the lines and figure out of the emotion she's showing is real or triggered by her hormones.. I know this is already difficult enough for men (trust me I know...I really know...) but like I said if you know about it ahead of time, you can react better.
I remember when my wife was pregnant with our first and she actually was extremely calm most of the time. It was quite nice actually because I'd read one of the 200 books (it was actually more like 8 books and I didn't actually read the whole book...) talking about how women can be very emotional during pregnancy and you're supposed to "just deal with it." Well that freaked me out not knowing what could happen, but my wife was awesome! However, when she got hungry, it was time to eat right now! And her appetite can change dramatically in a matter of hours, which is absolutely insane. One time, she just was in the mood for soup. We happened to have some Campbell's Chunky soup, the beef pot roast style in the cupboard, so I made it for her. She loved it so much that she told me "Can you go to the store and get more of that? It was so good I'll definitely have more of it." And being the good husband, I immediately drove to the store and bought 5 more cans thinking this should last a few days until we do a normal grocery shopping trip. As I'm walking back in and putting them away, she looks at me and says "Yeah I actually don't want those and really don't think I'll ever ear them." I.....was.....yeah you can guess.
That just goes to show you need to be prepared mentally for those moments, My wife didn't mean any harm and she really couldn't control her appetite so I had to let it go. It wasn't easy. And it may not be for you either, but if you're prepared it might go a little better. Her emotions can change in an instant and you just gotta roll with it. If she wants to cry, hold her and let her cry. If she wants to yell, let her scream and punch you in the arm if that helps. It will all be OK and you need to know that in the back of your mind. Do your best to keep control because she might need to feel that security.
If there's one thing you remember from this post, it should be this: if you love her and she loves you, this phase will pass. Enjoy this special time before your first child because you will never get this intimate time again even if you have more children. You're going to do great!
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