The Body Pillow

So there's a lack of sleep -- Her's and your's. She's getting up every hour on the hour to go to the bathroom and you're waking up from her (but you're not complaining since you know what she's going through). She's also in a lot of pain which makes her wake up more. My wife quoted it as her hip joints felt loose and that her ligaments were in pain. This made her wake up and flip over to reduce numbness in her legs.

Now while you can't prevent the bathroom visits (unless of course she slept in the bathroom) your choice is a) go sleep on the couch (which may make her feel you are not supportive) or b) find a way to help her deal with the pain

I opted for b) since any reduction of pain meant a better night sleep for me. How? Go buy her a Body Pillow. Its a 3 1/2 to 4 foot pillow that she puts her leg over when she sleeps. It relieves pressure on her hips and makes sleeping much more enjoyable (for both of you)

Tip: Have some fun with it and name the pillow. I opted for a female name, but I lost. It ended up being named Javier (wasn't my idea of the threesome I never had, but who am I to judge).

Dad, You're a Photojournalist

What a great time to capture all the changes going on in your life with a camera. This is your job dad. If you don't have a great camera, go out and buy a new one. It will allow you time to learn the ins and outs before you have the baby. I prefer digital, but that's your choice.

During the pregnancy, take time each week to take a picture of your wife. Print yourself a pregnancy calendar (I got mine from JustMommies.com) to help you keep track of the week and day of the shot. Remember this is based on the 40 week gestational cycle. This calendar is key because if you're like me, you will forget what week/day you are on.

Try to use the same clothes each time. I did two forward and two side shots -- both with shirt up and down. This will get harder the further along you get. Clothes may no longer fit and you have to get replacements, but if you stay in the same color theme you will be ok. Also take the picture with the same background so nothing else takes over the pictures.

The Mrs. may not always be into it and may put up resistance at times. This is understandable. After all, its her body that's going through these changes. If that happens, be supportive and try again the next day. You weekly trend of pictures may not always end up on the same day, but the trend still works. Don't forget to label /name the pictures with the week # or after a few weeks it will start to get a bit challenging. Glad you printed that calendar right?

Advice: Once you start taking photos don't stop. You might miss a week every now and then due to the Mrs.....but it will be a great visual story later on.

Oh the Cravings are TRUE

After a few weeks in, the Mrs. started getting cravings. I heard about this, but as a guy, I really don't get cravings. I eat when I want to and feel satisfied. The idea of eating something and still not feeling satisfied since it "wasn't what I wanted" seemed odd to me.

Well..its true. Pregnant women have cravings. Lots of them. They also have them at insane times like midnight or 3am when you will sure to be challenged in solving this equation.

For my wife it was mac & cheese, grape water, and steak to name a few.

So the word of advice. She will have cravings. Don't fight them. Jump in the car and find a 24 hour supermarket or drug store and buy the bugger. Think of it as a way to calm the women in your life. Its well worth the gallon of gas.

Picking a Name

At some point during the early part of the pregnancy, you wife will start thinking about baby names. She probably bought a baby name book already (see pregnancy book post). If not, you will see them soon.

This is a fun project that you can both do together. We tried to pick names that went well with our last name, that didn't have rhyming implications (after all your kid will be in school), and didn't create initials that mean something (i.e... Benjamin Aaron Ross -- B.A.R.)

Advice:

• Pick boys and girls names since you never know (sonograms have been wrong)
• Don't tell your family friends or anyone too close. You'd be surprised how many negative reactions you can get. "Oh why wont you name her after Aunt Mildred?", "Is that a girl's name?", etc.
• Save the name as the surprise when the baby is born. Most know the baby's sex already so this keeps something as an unknown.

Enjoy!

Uh oh...Morning sickness

Not all women experience the dreaded Morning sickness, but many do. This may be how you find out she's expecting since it can start early on in the first trimester. Suddenly those car fumes are affecting her. mm. Or it could be your cologne, your deodorant, or the smell of a certain food cooking.

For my wife it was my deodorant and looking at chicken wings on the bone. Instant nausea. Like clockwork. She also got sick wen she saw mac & cheese being made. Yep...that cheese sauce affected her but it was one of her cravings. Funny huh? As long as I cooked it she was ok.

The good news is these impromptu puke fests end around week 12! whew

Advice:

• Buy saltine crackers and ginger ale
• Have a supply of your (I mean her) favorite antacid
• Work around what affects her. You might need to stop wearing cologne or use a different deodorant for a bit

The long and short of it -- Its easier to make a quick change than it is to clean the upholstery in you car!

Do you live in a library?

I'm not sure if its instinctual or not, but there's something about a pregnant woman and books. She will go out and buy more pregnancy books and magazines than you know what to do with. She's looking for every bit of knowledge she can gain so she knows whats coming down the road.

Be prepared. This is both good and its bad.

Knowledge is key. She will know and understand what is happening with her body. The bad is it can be used against you. "You did this to me" can be commonly heard in pregnant homes. Also since she knows more than you do, she may take it as you aren't as interested in whats going on with her.

Some popular books are "What to Expect When Expecting" and "Baby Bargains." If she didn't get these books, here's your chance. You'll make her proud.

Advice:

• Pick up a book or two that she's reading and learn some nuggets. They may come in handy
• Take her to a book store yourself or buy her a book gift card (brownie points here).
• Buy a book of your own
  
• Show interest

And hey..after its all over, you can donate the books for a tax write off, or sell them on Amazon.com or EBAY.