My Prosperous World

For most couples, receiving the confirmation that they are about to become parents is among the most thrilling moments in their entire lives. It brings with it a world of emotions, ranging from excitement and joy to anxiety and fear.

Women often react to such information by going into all-about-the-baby overdrive, booking it from the doctor’s office to a local baby store to start out a gift registry. The thing is that women generally dream of motherhood their whole lives, meaning they’re ready to leap right into the world of cribs and diapers and toys. The news that they are pregnant means that their thoughts will soon be consumed by all that has to do with the baby. Men, however, often experience such information with a little more hesitance and anxiety. Of course, they are just as overjoyed and excited about becoming fathers. But they’re probably a little scared, too. A man may feel entirely overwhelmed and confused by the prospect of fatherhood.

For this reason, ladies, it is vital that you don’t leave your man by the wayside when you find out you’re pregnant. He may need a little help when it comes to becoming a father, and keeping these tips in mind, you can make sure he’ll get it:

1. Buy Him a Book This may sound quite clich, but fatherhood books can be very helpful and calming for a nervous soon-to-be dad. He may have questions he’s afraid to ask and concerns he’s not sure how to bring up, and doing a bit of reading may set his mind at ease. Plus, he will probably learn the answers to questions he never even thought to ask.

2. Find Him Some Father Friends If your guy is the first of his group of friends to become a father, he may not have anyone with experience he can turn to for advice. Try to set up a casual social event in which other fathers will be present. While there’s no way you can force your husband or boyfriend to converse with these men about the topic of fatherhood, he’ll probably take the initiative to do so on his own.

3. Pay Him Attention When you get pregnant, all of the attention turns towards you and the baby. Your husband or boyfriend may feel a little left out. Make sure to let him know that he is special too, and set aside days that are about him and what he wants to do (even if it means seeing an action movie or eating wings over beer you cannot drink). Not only is this a great way to make him feel good, but it’s also important in maintaining your relationship.

4. Let Him Get Away An important part of all relationships is the alone time both partners need and receive. When a baby comes into the picture, however, that alone time tends to disappear – but don’t let it. Your husband or boyfriend may sometimes feel overwhelmed by the pregnancy situation and need a few hours to escape. Allow him that and know that it will make him a better partner and father in the long run.

Jayde Johannsen adores all things to do with being a woman, which includes both being a mom and women’s shoes. Recently she published some work on women’s dress shoes. Enjoy.