A Father-To-Be’s Guide of What Not to Do
The pitter-patter of baby footsteps inch closer as you and your partner near the the end of her pregnancy. These times can be so exciting as you and your partner tie-up the loose ends of your old life while putting the finishing touches on your new one. During this time, you, as the father-to-be may find yourself imagining all of the wonderful things to come. Your partner, however, may be focusing slightly more on the fact that she is uncomfortable, tired, and worried. There are so many different things that a father-to-be should avoid doing, saying, etc in front of their partners during this time. For safety purposes, (yours.. not hers), I have compiled a small list of things to try and avoid at all costs.
Never Flaunt the Accomplishments of Other Women
When I say never flaunt the accomplishments of other women to your pregnant partner I don’t mean steering clear of political and entertainment conversations. For example, you can say… “Can you believe that Oprah Winfrey was named Forbes most successful woman of 2008?”. What you can’t say is a statement like this: “Can you believe that Jim’s wife worked all day yesterday but still came home and cooked him a four course meal?”. A warning to all fathers-to be….please do not do this. If you do… I’m scared for you.
Never Ever Even Flinch When Weight Comes Up In Conversation
A pregnant woman is beautiful. Plain and simple. When you are actually the woman that is pregnant though, it can sometimes becomes difficult to feel beautiful. With an ever-expanding waistline, the subject of weight becomes a touchy one. If you ever feel the need to express to your very pregnant partner that you can’t understand how you gained two pounds, don’t! Just don’t! As a matter of fact, if anyone is foolish enough to even bring up the issue of weight in a conversation with you and your pregnant partner present… just walk away. Don’t even look at her, just walk away. That’s the safest bet.
Never Ever Ever Say No to a Massage Request
When you are pregnant, there comes a time when just about everything hurts. I’ve even overheard an about-to-pop pregnant friend actually mutter the words, “my hair hurts” will such conviction that even I had to slip away quietly for fear of my life. So if your partner requests a hand, foot, back, leg, or even a scalp massage just say yes. For the love of all that is good, just say yes.
