Often, for a woman, pregnancy seems very real very quick. As soon as she starts having symptoms like fatigure, morning sickness, or changes to the breasts, she knows that her life has been dramatically altered. Men, on the other hand, tend to be a bit more clueless. One psychological study even suggested that, for men, pregnancy doesn’t become “real” until delivery! While this may be a bit of a stretch, the fact of the matter is that your husband’s thoughts are, probably, not nearly as consumed with your pregnancy as your thoughts are. For this reason, he probably won’t be reading this web site or thumbing through your books on pregnancy. Still, it is going to be on his mind, somewhere, even if he doesn’t bring it up to the top very often.
Still, there are some things that your partner should know about your pregnancy, even as early as the first trimester. It may be helpful, for example, for your husband to know what sort of changes that your body is about to go through. Understanding what morning sickness is, how it is caused, and how it can be eased, for example, might help him be more able to support you when you are ill. It also can be helpful for your partner to know how your baby is developing, even at this early stage. If possible, he should accompany you to your ultrasound appointment, if only because it will help him to wrap his brain around the fact that you’ve got this whole other person growing inside of you.
It is important throughout pregnancy, not just during the first trimester, for your partner to know what exactly your needs are. You can’t expect your partner to just know automatically that you have to have Chinese food RIGHT NOW, and pick it up on the way home from work. You can’t expect him to know that the smell of his cologne, because of the fact that your sense of smell is more sensitive, makes you want to vomit. You have to be able to communicate your needs to your partner. At the same time, you need to be able to effectively listen to your partner’s needs. Just because you are pregnant doesn’t mean that his boss isn’t still a jerk, or that he isn’t worried about finances anymore (in fact, he is probably more worried because of the expenses associated with pregnancy, childbirth, and the child herself!)
Your partner should also know, during the first trimester, what your pregnacy timeline looks like. He should have a good idea of when you are expected to deliver, when childbirth classes will take place, and when the important doctor appointments will be.
All of these things should help your partner and you to have a more successful pregnancy.
