9 Things Pregnant Women Want Their Partners to Know
Your back aches, your belly won’t let you bend, and you still have weeks to go. Being preggo isn’t always the glowing-from-the-inside experience that you thought it would be. It’s magical, that’s for sure — it’s also a hormone-fueled roller-coaster ride. Your partner is there to help… at least, they should be. You might have read every pregnancy book, blog, and article, but your S.O. is still kind of clueless. Help them help you by getting to know what they don’t!
1. Don’t blame the hormones. They’ve seen the movies and know that “hormones” are the root cause of all pregnancy-induced craziness. At least that’s what they think. So they’re going to blame your body chemistry at some point or another when you cry, yell, or in any way act like a person who has emotions. They might not understand that you need help, or a hug, right now. Help them learn to point the finger somewhere other than your hormones.
2. “Morning” sickness can happen any time. The name “morning sickness” is pretty misleading. Your S.O. may get fooled into thinking that rocky feeling you have is just in the a.m. What they don’t know is that pregnant people can have morning sickness 24/7. You’ll have to clue them in to this one: The name isn’t helping anyone, so it’s the only way they’ll know.
3. You have the nose of a dog. A really, really sleuthy dog. You can smell a piece of bacon hidden in the back of the fridge all the way from the bedroom, and it’s making you want to heave. Having food scent sensitivities during pregnancy is completely normal, but your partner might have missed that news. Give them the rundown on what turns your tummy and what’s okay to keep around.
4. Sometimes pregnancy is scary. You might be the best-educated pregnant person ever, but that doesn’t mean you won’t get scared when it comes to pregnancy and childbirth. This anxiety is totally normal, but you’re trying to look cool, calm, and collected, and your S.O. is buying the act. If you have stresses, worries, or even fears, let them know. They’re there to listen and reassure you that everything will be a-okay.
5. There’s all kinds of grossness. As much as you want bae to see you as a perfect preggo princess, pregnancy can get gross. Really, really gross. You pee when you sneeze, there’s something called a mucus plug in your cervix (and it’s going to fall out at some point), and you’re more than just a little bit gassy. You can prepare them for the not-so-pretty parts of pregnancy. But don’t apologize. Nature is nature, and there’s nothing you can do about these parts of pregnancy.
6. Sleep is sacred. You were up every 20 minutes to pee, thanks to the baby who is sitting on your bladder, and now the dog needs to go out. In a few short weeks you’ll get even less sleep, so right now you need all you can get. Remind your partner so that they can pick up some of the slack when you need to catch up on zzz’s.
7. Pickles and ice cream aren’t always it. Yes, some moms-to-be crave the legendary pickles and ice cream. Others want nachos. And still others adore bananas and vanilla pudding. Everyone has their own tastes, and those pregnancy “standard snacks” aren’t always in when it comes to what you want.
8. Romance is still on. Sometimes even more than before. You may have swollen feet and an achy back, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t feeling it when you crawl into bed with your honey. Your changing body (and the baby growing inside) may kind of intimidate them, and they don’t want to cross any boundaries. So let them know when you’re still feeling loving and exactly what you’re up for.
9. This is a team effort. They might not have the belly. And they might not be completely on top of the prep work that’s going on behind the scenes. But this whole pregnancy thing is a team effort. Remind them. Sometimes it can seem like all the pregnancy stuff (such as shopping for the baby, registering for gifts, prepping baby’s room) falls on the pregnant person’s side of things. They need to know that this is absolutely not true.
How have you helped your partner learn about your pregnancy? Tweet us @BritandCo.
(Photos via Getty)