endperform.org

We’re at the 6 month mark of the pregnancy, and all is well. Baby is healthy and quite active, and we’re slowly getting things prepared around here for the new arrival. We still have some things to get, but all in all, things should be ready when September rolls around. Beth is to the point where she’s ready to have the pregnancy over and done with, which I can understand. She’s tired and worn out pretty quickly, which is normal from what I understand. I’m doing my best to make sure she’s taken care of and everything is in order. So far, so good on that as well. Plans are in place to have my mom and sister make a trip down here for the birth, which we already know is going to be via C-section.

So as some of you may know, the pregnant woman goes through a lot during a pregnancy. Hormones, the cravings, the weight gain and associated pain are just a few of the things that she experiences. But, there are things us males go through, too, and that’s what I’m going to write about this week.

Sympathy Pains
Definitely not a myth, sympathy pains tend to occur in men. My symptoms have been back pain, and the occasional full body ache, but luckily I’ve escaped nausea. I read about these pains in some of the books I have been read and at first thought I wasn’t going to feel anything, but, I was wrong. Go figure

Disconnection
Since I’m not the one carrying the baby, sometimes I’ve felt disconnected from things. This was a big issue prior to me attending an ultrasound permission with Beth. Afterwards it started to subside. It came about mostly because there’s not really a lot I can do right now, other than make sure Beth and baby are comfortable and their needs are met. One other big thing that made this issue subside for me was went I first felt the baby kick.

Cravings
While her cravings haven’t been crazy, sometimes they do just randomly occur. One evening we’re sitting watching TV and all of the sudden I hear: “Baby, I want a chicken sandwich”. So, like the loving guy I am, I hit the road in search of the perfect sandwich. The cravings are also a good way to plan dinner, because a lot of the time, I’m usually in the mood for just about anything… so we defer to what baby wants. It works out pretty nicely

That’s pretty much all I’ve been dealing with. She hasn’t had crazy moodswings, no weird cravings, or anything like that. It’s been pretty normal from my standpoint. Well, normal from what I can tell. This is the first I’ve gone through this. All in all, things are going according to plan.

I’ve been reading a few books in preparation for the birth of our child. Of all the ones I’ve been reading, there’s one that I really am enjoying. It’s called “The Caveman’s Pregnancy Companion: A Survival Guide for Expectant Fathers”. It’s really well written, and pretty darn funny to boot. It has a lot of information, ranging on what to expect, what the woman is going through, and what you can do to help her along. Some of the information is presented in table form, and some of the items are pretty funny. For example, one section goes over what medication is safe for her. “What about intestinal gas? She’s pretty farty” is just one of the entries that got a laugh out of me.

I’m not all of the way through the book yet, but I’m finding it to be a very enjoyable and informative read. I recommend it to those new dads out there.