Prepare Daddy For D-Day

Subtly leave this page open for your other half to read and he’ll find all the info he needs to get him to D-day and beyond

Has your other half been a dream throughout your pregnancy? Maybe he’s read the birthing book cover to cover, watched the DVDs, helped you massage in olive oil ‘down there’ and can’t wait to measure how dilated you are and cut the cord?

Well, that’s nice. But we’re not all lucky enough to have a wannabe obstetrician for a partner. And while he does want to be there for you, the realities of pregnancy and birth can be a bit of a shock to the average dad-to-be. From morning sickness to the moment of truth, men need to be kept in the know. So how can you turn your beloved from a hindrance into a help? First off, by teaching him that it’s all change from the second you see that little blue line on the pregnancy test…

IT’S MY HORMONES!

Your hormones are getting your body into gear from the moment you become pregnant,” says Karen Mathias, midwife and mum of two. Your partner shouldn’t be surprised if you start feeling and acting differently long before you have a visible bump.

Tiredness is totally normal. Coming home from work and wanting to go straight to bed is practically guaranteed, as is nausea. And your heightened sense of smell can put you off cooking, so it’s a legitimate excuse to appoint him chef!

As pregnancy progresses, your partner faces you experiencing other delightful symptoms, like the ungainly waddle, flatulence and sudden food cravings that have you dispatching him to the kitchen for scrambled eggs and milkshake— every night.