Pregnancy is often a time centered around the birthing mama. Right from the beginning, you and baby start to bond as baby grows inside you. Are you wondering how to get your partner excited about pregnancy too?
I know that in the beginning, it can be challenging for partners to get excited about pregnancy and bond with baby while they are in your belly. This tends to be especially true in the early weeks and months when you’re not showing and they can’t even feel kicks yet!
It can all seem pretty – abstract.
Luckily, there are a lot of great ways to get your partner excited about pregnancy right from the start!
Today, let’s talk about bonding ideas between partner and the bump, big events the non-birthing parent can play a role in, and inspire some ‘expecting dates’ you can do in every trimester.
With these ideas, your partner will be just as excited about pregnancy as you are.
- 11 Ways to involve your partner in pregnancy
- 1. Go to prenatal appointments together, or at least the big ones
- 2. Have fun announcing your pregnancy to family and friends
- 3. Plan a co-ed baby shower or daddy diaper party
- 4. Complete a DIY project for baby’s nursery
- 5. Write letters to baby together or about certain milestones in pregnancy
- 6. Play an ongoing baby name game
- 7. Keep a countdown going together
- 8. Encourage them to talk, sing, or read to your baby bump
- 9. Work on your birth plan as a team
- 10. Talk about budgeting and finances
- 11. Plan a babymoon
- There you have it!
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11 Ways to involve your partner in pregnancy
1. Go to prenatal appointments together, or at least the big ones
Right from the beginning, prioritize scheduling appointments at a time when your partner can join. Having them with you during the appointments will not only be a support to you, but will likely help it feel more “real” to them.
With over 15 prenatal appointments during the course of your pregnancy, I totally understand that he/she might not be able to make it to all of them. Here are a few more eventful appointments that you definitely don’t want your partner to miss.
The very first appointment
This appointment tends to be a lot like a meet and greet. Having your partner there will really set the tone for their level of involvement in prenatal care throughout the entire pregnancy. Your partner will get to meet your provider and ask questions right along with you.
I was surprised at the questions my husband thought of when he tagged along to my appointment. They were often thoughtful and specific. It helped to have him there to support me and ask questions I may not have thought of.
The 12-week ultrasound
This is your first glimpse at baby, and you do not want your partner to miss it! So many people report their partner’s perspective on the whole pregnancy changing at this point.
Seeing that little baby for the first time is enough to bring even the toughest person to tears, or at least make their heart swell in a new way. Try to do everything you can to have your partner present at this appointment.
The 20-week ultrasound
Another glimpse at baby is always a good time to bring your partner along, and during this ultrasound, you’ll notice baby looking a lot less ‘alien’-like!
This ultrasound is also an important one because your technician will be looking at baby’s growth, development, and checking for any abnormalities. If there are issues with organ development, your technician may notice them now. Having your partner present at this appointment will not only be a great support for you but also an important way for them to feel attached to baby.
A few in the third trimester
Appointments during your third trimester are often filled with more conversations surrounding birth. Choose one or two appointments for your partner to join.
This will allow them to be involved in understanding and making pain intervention-related decisions and decisions regarding immediate newborn care on your birth plan.
2. Have fun announcing your pregnancy to family and friends
Choosing exactly when to announce your pregnancy (and who are going to announce it to!) is an important decision to make with your partner.
Get them involved in the process when you are ready to share publicly. Maybe you guys can stage a fun photoshoot to post on social media. Or, go shopping for clever t-shirts or thoughtful gifts with people’s new ‘titles’ on them together. I think you’ll be surprised at how into this your partner will be.
Related Reading: Pregnancy Announcement Ideas
3. Plan a co-ed baby shower or daddy diaper party
Co-ed baby showers are becoming more and more popular these days. Choose a theme like, ‘A Baby is Brewing’ and have a fun backyard bbq and beer affair.
There can still be fun shower games, and involving partners might even make them more hilarious. If you still want to have a more traditional baby shower with the women in your life, consider inviting your partner to come at the end.
Another idea to get your husband excited about pregnancy is to help him plan a Daddy Diaper Party. The idea is that the dad-to-be gets a chance to have a fun event with his closest guy friends and relatives. All the guests bring a box of diapers and wipes to help you stockpile before baby arrives.
Related Reading: Planning a Baby Shower Your Guests Will Love
4. Complete a DIY project for baby’s nursery
A wonderful way to bond during pregnancy and get your partner more involved is with a special project just for baby.
This might be something simple, like framing and hanging up an ultrasound, or even assembling nursery furniture and getting the nursery set-up together.
5. Write letters to baby together or about certain milestones in pregnancy
Taking the time to write a letter to your baby during pregnancy is a wonderful reflection and way to connect with baby. Getting your partner to do the same will help them think of baby more concretely and envision life with a newborn.
You may choose to do this after significant pregnancy milestones like finding out you’re pregnant, learning the sex, or sharing the news with friends and family.
Documenting or journaling about these exciting moments together is a surefire way to help your partner get more excited during pregnancy.
6. Play an ongoing baby name game
Choosing a name for baby is a role in pregnancy that your partner will most likely want a say in!
Make a game out of choosing a name with a piece of paper or whiteboard and two columns, one for you and one for your partner. First, you throw out a name that you like. If your partner doesn’t like it, cross it off and have them add a name to their column.
Try having this up on the fridge as an ongoing thing, or sit and play the game at dinner or while waiting for food when you are out to eat. Hey, you just might come to an agreement this way!
7. Keep a countdown going together
One of my best friends has a whiteboard hanging in her house with a countdown to due date. This was their family’s way of getting everyone involved and excited about pregnancy right from the start.
Her partner changes the number on the countdown each day and adds a cute quote, funny saying, message, or drawing.
8. Encourage them to talk, sing, or read to your baby bump
As silly as it might seem, one amazing way for your partner to get excited is to interact with your baby bump!
Different sources have different weeks when baby can actually start to hear you, but around week 16 there is evidence that they are starting to detect some noise. By around 24 weeks, baby can definitely hear and will even start reacting to audio-stimuli.
What does this mean? The more your partner reads and sings to baby while they are in the womb, the more baby will be used to and know their voice.
9. Work on your birth plan as a team
Childbirth is a team sport. While you will be obviously doing the brunt of the labor (no pun intended) getting your partner involved with the planning ahead of time is important.
It will get them more excited about baby’s arrival, and they’ll have more of an understanding of care options and choices for both you and baby.
Involving your partner in creating a birth plan means they will know what your wishes and goals are. You two will be able to discuss your individual strengths, fears, and hopes together.
10. Talk about budgeting and finances
Your budget is inevitably going to change with a new baby joining the family. You may need to plan for a period of time with a reduced amount of money coming in while you are on maternity leave. There are also expenses related to having a baby, like diapers, baby gear, and personal products specific to postpartum healing and newborn care.
You’ll want to be sure to look into copays and medical bills that you will likely incur. It might be smart to check out both of your insurance coverages and try to get on the plan that has the best prenatal and birth coverage during open enrollment.
Looking at finances might not exactly get your partner “excited” about baby, but it is a way for them to be really involved in an important planning step during pregnancy before baby arrives.
11. Plan a babymoon
What could get your partner (and you!) more excited during pregnancy than planning and going on a babymoon!
This is a chance to be completely present with one another and focus on your new baby’s upcoming arrival. You’ll have a chance to enjoy some baby-free time together and get excited about becoming new parents!
This doesn’t have to be expensive or extravagant. It’s possible to plan a babymoon on any budget with the right tips and ideas.
There you have it!
You are now armed with 11 ideas to get your partner involved and excited about pregnancy!
All of these things will help to include your partner and remove some of the abstractness of pregnancy. Most importantly, have a blast really connecting and bonding together during pregnancy.
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