I came across a post on Be A Good Dad this morning about helping out a pregnant wife who is 39 weeks. While my wife is only a few weeks further away from her due date, I’m constantly trying to figure out things to help her as she slows down, from easing foot pain to just plain doing more around the house.

Two things in particular that BAGD lists seem to be particularly helpful.

Take care of low stuff. Pick up stuff off the floor before she gets around to it. Move the laundry so she doesn’t have to bend over. BeAGoodMom likes to remind us that she only can bend over a handful of times a day. Don’t make her waste those bend overs doing chores.

Take charge once in a while. Instead of saying, “I’ll help with dinner. What should I make?” just make a decision and run with it. Sure she might get sick of Mac & Cheese and frozen pizza but she’ll be happy to not have to make the ever stressful what’s-for-dinner decision every night.

While I often don’t have time to blink before my wife makes food, this is one I should pick up some slack on.

I’d love to hear from the rest of you what things have you done (or had done for you) that really ease the late stages of pregnancy.

Post from: Blisstree

Helping pregnant wives

When I asked for an actual script, she blushed. “He didn’t have his pad with him.” It’s not the first time she’s lied to me to try and bum a massage from me, but it’s the first time she’s blamed it one someone else.

I’ve mentioned foot massage for pregnant women before, but this time she wants some neck and back action. I came across this great, step-by-step primer on how to massage a pregnant woman over at eHow.com. It seems very involved, but I’m going to adopt a subset of these steps to help my achy, hormonal, tired and pregnant wife.

It makes a particularly good, if not obvious point that pregnant women should lay on their sides for a massage, not on their stomachs. Although, If I took the time to stop and meditate before I gave my wife a massage (step 5) I’d wake up the following morning in the same place I started my meditation.

Post from: Blisstree

Massaging a pregnant woman

The most amazing part of it that my son begins to kick when I talk to him. He clearly responds to my voice and really begins to kick and move around as I speak. Aside from getting a charge out of his movement, fetal kicks are actually a sign of a healthy baby.

The Baby Kick Alliance provides some good information on the importance of counting fetal kicks as a basic method for diagnosing health issues during pregnancy. They also provide handy PDF charts for tracking your baby’s activity.

Post from: Blisstree

Counting baby kicks

The article quotes Vivette Glover of Imperial College London:

“We found that if the woman had a partner who was being emotionally cruel to them while they were pregnant it had a significant effect on their baby’s development. It shows that the partner has a big role to play.”

It seems to be clear evidence that a father’s role in a child’s life does not start at birth, but at conception through care and concern for the well being of the mother. Some people laugh when I tell them that I talk to my pregnant wife’s belly twice a day, but with research showing that a father’s attitude toward a pregnancy can ultimately affect its success, I’m going to keep on chatting away.

Post from: Blisstree

Stress in pregnancy affects child’s development

I would like to introduce my son. Although he is as of yet unborn and unnamed, my wife and I call him “Sprout” and we are expecting to see him for the first time in 93 days. The ultrasound is a little grainy, but I think he looks like his old man.

Sprout listens to me talk to him every morning before work, and just before I go to bed every night. I put my face up to my pregnant wife’s belly so I can get some good talk time in before I leave for work. In recent weeks he’s started kicking when I talk to him. In spite of what I may do with the rest of my day, those moments are the clear highlight.

I can’t wait to meet him.

Post from: Blisstree

An introduction to my unborn son