important care

Getting pregnant - planned or unplanned - is a huge challlenge for any relationship. Joy and excitement are matched by fear of the unknown and possible worries about whether or not you'll make good parents, can afford this life change, or even that will both want to be together forever as a commitment to this new life. These feelings are all totally understandable, and for a woman, are added to by the rollercoaster ride some women have with their hormones during pregnancy.Until the baby arrives, the man might well feel there's not much for him to do. If so, check out our lighthearted guide to What every partner should know during pregnancy, and read on.
Cut yourself some slack, girlsPregnant women, not all but many, find that the changes to their hormones, plus subliminal worries about this huge event to come - the birth - take their toll on their emotions. Do not feel this is a bad thing, it's a sign that your body is adjusting to the amazing being growing inside you.Look for natural remedies to stress and bad moods where you can - massages, light exercises that you have always enjoyed, good food, a day to yourself to kick-back and chill out - and if you still feel the pressure, don't be afraid to talk to your GP or midwife. If you don't feel sexy, don't feel guilty about having less sex. Think about nice things you are in a mood for with your partner, and don't presume that early weeks of queasiness mean you're going to feel totally unromantic for a full nine months. You might find you get very horny in the last weeks!Dig out clothes you like and feel good in, or get a new haircut. Even if you're not in a leatherette mini-skirt and boots combo (!), your feeling brighter will have a knock-on effect with your partner.If you have a partner who refers to your bump as 'fat', feel free give him a verbal warning that his own beer belly is overdue for some prolonged mocking. Or tell his sister or mother what he said - they'll take their revenge for you!Seriously, if your partner makes small jibes, it might be because he is anxious about the birth in some way. Quite possibly because he fears it's going to change your relationship, that you won't have time for each other, that your body isn't going to look like the one he fancied. None of these HAVE to be true of your own experience, but it's up to both of you to be down-to-earth and work at what you are afraid of together