What to Expect When She's Expecting

Now that you've heard the news and navigated your way through those strange feelings and thoughts uncertainty (with a dash of excitment and joy), it's time to take a step back and consider what your wife/partner is about to go through.

Well... for a start her body is about to go through some fairly major changes. You won't see much change for the first month except for one thing... She'll be floating around with a radiant pink glow of happiness while tiny little changes are taking place inside her body. One of the first things she may get is...

Aching Breasts.

One of the first changes she'll notice will be her breasts. This should kick in almost straight away. Her breasts will start aching and begin to feel heavy, so stay the heck away from them! They'll be hyper sensitive to touch so if you attempt to go there you'll be setting yourself up for a world wrestling federation style body slam. Don't risk it.

Nausea and Morning Sickness

I'll be the first to admit, there's a reason God made women the child bearers and not us Men. Women seem to 'take the pain' better than us tough guys.

Your wife will probably experience some sort of nausea at some point during the first month and for some women it may continue for months if they're unlucky. Not a nice thing at all.

I'm not sure why they call it morning sickness when they rarely feel sick 'in the morning'. So don't let the name fool you. It can hit them at any time of the day.

If you've ever suffered sea sickness, then you'll have a good idea of what it feels like (apparently).

Morning sickness resembles 'seas sickness' and not a hangover. The two are very different feelings. As some may know, a hangover is more to do with the head. Headaches, vomiting, dizziness perhaps. But morning sickness is a full body sickly feeling. I can't really explain it as well as a women who's had it, but it's something that I'm glad I don't have to go through.

So... How can you help? You can't really. Simply support her as much as possible and be there for her. Morning sickness may last a while, so do as much to help out around the house as possible. The morning sickness will be around for at least the first trimester (3 months).

The nausea will make her feel so tired and exhausted and could go on for quite a while. Even the littlest of tasks will feel like a marathon. So if your partner does the coking and arrive home to no dinner, then you need to learn to cook :-)

Fatigue

When she becomes pregnant, her body metabolism is going to increase to cope with the development of the baby. She will become very tired and need to sleep more often. Adding to this the body produces more of the hormone progesterone. Because this hormone has a sedating effect, when produced in high levels during pregnancy she will naturally feel more tired.

Dashing to the Toilet

Your partner will be making a few regular visits to the ladies room early in the pregnancy. She'll be off to the bathroom all through the night. Why? Apparenty her body produces more of a particular hormone that relaxes her intestines which helps the organs move around to make room for the baby. They must press onto the bladder I guess. If you're one of those guys who needs all the details then google it.

Cramping

This is a normal part of early pregnancy. Some newbies (first time pregnancy) may think they are having a miscarriage. If the cramping is accompanied with bleeding then see your doctor just in case. Again... google it if you need details.

Constipation & Wind

Yes guys... your lady does fart (and so does the Queen of England). Remember earlier I mentioned the increase in hormones? This is the side effect. The odd 'toot toot' now and again. This can be a little embarrassing for your lady. Especially as they like us to believe they don't actually do those types of things.

Craving

Anyone for some pickled onions?

My wife didn't really go through the craving stage. She's had an insatiable craving for chocolate for years. So nothing abnormal there.

However, she did experience a metallic taste in her mouth for a short while. This is apparently also to do with the increased hormone flooding her body.

Just as my wife did, many women hate the smell and taste of meat during pregnancy. Just the smell of it would make her gag and almost puke.

That's the main stuff I can think of, so I hope it helps you guys in some way to understand what to expect when she's expecting. All women a different, so you never know what to expect when she's expecting.

Introduction to Fatherhood. What to Expect

Wow! Becoming a Dad is so much more than I ever thought it would be. Sure...Fatherhood's not only exciting and a little unpredictable, but it's also a somewhat un-nerving. But I do have to say, once you get your head above the fog and mist and begin to see things clearly, it is without a doubt something filled with joy and laughter (even if sometimes it doesn't quite feel that way).

If you're anything like me then you would have noticed there are a tonne of books for women about having babies, pregnancy and birth (you know.... the 'what to expect when you're expecting' book series. Thicker than a phone book!) but little for us blokes on how to deal with the curve ball you're about to (if not already) have tossed your way. If you're about to become a dad... hang on for the ride. It's fun!

So, rather than making the trip to the book store to buy a book or two you'll probably only read half of anyway, I figured the best way for guys to get the low down on what to expect, is to tell my story. Some will agree with what I have to say, and others may not. That's the joy of the web... you can say what you like!

Before you begin exploring, let me start by saying that I am not an adviser, psychologist or therapist of any kind. I'm just a regular guy sharing a few experiences along the road of fatherhood.

I'll share with you the ups, the downs and everything in-between, and do my best to put it into plain and simple "bloke" language I know you'll understand.

My Journey Begins

Well... A few years back (2008) I became a Dad for the first time and again in January 2011. Yep... I have two beautiful kids now. A boy (Cooper) and a girl (Olivia). I feel incredibly blessed but...

Like many guys who venture into the unknown abyss we call fatherhood, I was not as prepared as I thought.

I remember the day I heard those words "Honey we're having a baby!"

At that very moment my instant thought was...

"Wow, I have to get serious now, I have to grow up. It's not just about me anymore. This is for real. This is it... Ok... Do I have enough money in the bank? What about my car? Is it going to be big enough for a stroller? Should I buy a larger one? Oh no.... No more sleeping in on a Saturday mornings."

It was all about to change.

Those thoughts lasted for what seemed like a minute or so. I stood there frozen like a deer in the head lights, convinced someone hit the 'slow motion' button (Matrix style). Thankfully those thoughts raced through my mind faster than Micheal Schumackers F1 Ferrari. It's amazing that my mind could compute all that is a millisecond so my wife was none the wiser.

Naturally of course what immediately followed was a wave of joy that shot through me like a lightening bolt. The thrill and joy of knowing that I was becoming a Dad.

Wow... A 'mini-me' coming into the world. My own flesh and blood. It's truly an amazing feeling when it all eventually sinks in.

So... if you're becoming a Dad or already on the fatherhood journey like me, and heading blindly into the wilderness with no compass or map (like most of us), then it is my prayer and hope that you find your feet and direction here. Please share your experiences here so we can share them with other Dads. We can all learn something from someone. Pay it forward.