20 basic tips for future fathers (from those who were them)

1. Be a participant in pregnancy from the very beginning. This will help you feel involved in what is happening and let the woman know that the spouse is taking the pregnancy seriously and wants to help her.
2. Learn about pregnancy and childbirth. Read this book and our other books, go to prenatal counseling and in the classes of childbearing education. This will help to gain a better understanding of what is happening, and you will be able to give your wife more support. If a man is informed, it is easier for him to ask questions or express his doubts.
3. Be a good listener. A man should provide his wife with undivided attention and listen to her when she speaks. Sometimes she just wants to discuss a situation or a problem. In other cases, she needs to give vent to her feelings. Sometimes she needs a man to calm her down. Secure it to her!
4. It should be given to a woman to know how she can help a man! He, too, needs admiration, support and help. It is important to let her understand this.
5. Ask questions and get answers. If one of the spouses is concerned about something, you should not give it a push on them. We need to find out what they want to know. If a doctor or a team of doctors did not give a satisfactory answer to a question, you should ask until it becomes clear. Read other our cnm and about pregnancy, articles in magazines and other information.
6. Do not tell your spouse to stop worrying or try to keep her from expressing feelings. Both are characteristic of pregnant women. Instead, it is better to listen and support.
7. One should be tolerant of a woman: in this period, many changes take place with her. Men's patience and understanding is a good way to help her cope with the changes she is experiencing.
8. You should ask a woman to be tolerant of a man - this is a new experience that can create situations unfamiliar to him. A man will appreciate her patience when she meets new situations.
9. One should tell a woman that her body is beautiful during pregnancy. She had new bends and softness, which, perhaps, the man had not noticed before. Its changing body reflects internal changes. It is not necessary to say that she has become bigger, and to let go of the jokes about the fact that she is gaining weight.
10. Yu. If a husband appears with any signs of pregnancy, called Kuvad (see page 86), do not be afraid of it. This is not a very unusual phenomenon. A man should give his wife to know about what is happening, then they can empathize with each other.
11. It is necessary to try to reduce the amount of stress in life to a minimum. Spouses can together engage in anti-stress exercises. This will help the man.
12. You should try to keep the romance. Spouses can go out together for lunch or dinner, leisurely stroll in the evenings, go to the cinema or to the theater. So you can act before the birth of your child.
13. If necessary, a man needs to change his lifestyle to support his wife. You should quit smoking, you need to do gymnastics and eat right. Joint work on this will help both spouses to lead a healthy lifestyle.
14. A man should not participate in new projects, you need to give up additional duties, a new position or participation in something that will require his long absence. A man should be so accessible l la wife, as much as possible, to share the experience of pregnancy.
15. A man should calm his wife when she needs it. She may be worried that something she did before pregnancy can damage the baby. She may think that she does not do enough to ensure the health of the child. She may worry that she can not be a good mother. These are common doubts, so do not scoff at her worries. She should sympathize and give confidence that the man is here to listen, understand and help.
16. If consolation is required for a man, he should inform his wife about it. A man can be nervous because of what is happening. If he honestly talks about his fears and doubts, the couple together look for a solution and they both get better.
17. After the birth of the child, the man should try to take a vacation. A man can help his wife with a child until she recovered from childbirth, or even decide to stay home with the child after the mother returns to work.
18. You should read the materials on paternity, read books, watch videos and discuss it with other fathers. Despite the fact that a woman is often more involved in caring for a child, there are no reasons why a man can not perform some parental responsibilities after the birth of a child.
19. Do not try to be perfect. Pregnancy is a new experience for a man, so he should be allowed to learn along the way. He can make mistakes, but they are done by everyone.
20. Spouses should enjoy this pregnancy together. When a child is born, he will have many demands on the time and attention of parents. Spouses should use pregnancy as the time given to them to get closer.

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