To Drink or not to Drink

You all may face this question at one point or another.  Your wife should not drink to protect your unborn child/children.  What about you?  This becomes pretty tricky.   You may think you are lucky because for 9 months you have a built in designated driver.  This is true but it comes with many more problems than you know.

Before you (I mean the collective you), got pregnant there were plenty of late nights with bottles of wine or beer.  What happens when you get the question, "Are you setting the right example for your unborn children?"  Tread lightly my friend.  This is a minefield that is very tough to navigate and can easily blow up in your face.  Keep in mind past behavior and be very sensitive to your wife's feelings.

Have you ever been sober while your friends were drinking to their hearts content?  Imagine how your wife feels.  This is a very thin line.  Never get too drunk.  Keep in mind that you are part of a team.  You are no longer able to be "that guy".  Have a drink or two but be conscious of your spouses feelings.  I have to admit this is not the easiest thing for me to conquer.

Your wife is experiencing the same hangover you may have every day.  Keep it in moderation and keep your wife's feelings in your thoughts.  It will serve you better in the long run.

Morning...You mean all day

Be aware there are a few types of morning sickness and it is in thirds.  1/3 have no symptoms, 1/3 have nausea and the lucky few have nausea with vomiting.  Get ready if you are in the latter 1/3rd, it is no fun.  Be prepared to hold back hair like you did with your college girlfriend that had to much to drink.  I have been told to imagine your worst hangover that just repeats itself.  If you are a smart man you should just go with the flow and not make any jokes.  My wife is not in a joking mood.

If you are like me, and the getting pregnant part was so hard, every pain and grimace is a cause to worry.  There is not much you can do but hope for the best and read all you can about what is going on with her body.  Don't get freaked out when you read that the eyes are on the sides of the head during the 10th week.  As soon as you hear the heartbeat a whole new list of fears appears.

How much is this going to cost?  Where are they going to go to college?  Who is going to work and who is going to stay home.  Be realistic, Can you both work?  Can you be a stay at home dad?  I have about 5 months to make a lot of decisions.

Well, enough of looking forward, for now just make sure your wife is comfortable and doesn't puke on the floor.  If she does and you have to clean it up just think of it as training for the baby/babies that are on the way.

It all started with....

From the time most of us could remember we were told to "be careful".  "You don't want to get her pregnant".  "You better practice safe sex".  "A baby will change your life".

Nobody told us how hard it can really be when we want to have a child.  You find the woman you love and are ready to start a family.  No more "safe sex".  The reigns are gone.  You go all in (pardon the pun).  Months go by and the pee stick becomes your enemy.  The thermometer and timing are evil.  Sex becomes a chore and you start questioning everything about your manhood all the while trying to support your wife.

The next step is the doctors office.  Crammed in a room with couples and single women all with a tension on their faces that is hard to see.  Is it me?  Is it her?  How are we going to get through this?  The doctor tells you it is not easy as you think.  Tests are ordered.  You get to jerk off in a tiny room with old porn magazines and even older porn cassette tapes.  How did it get this far?

Your life becomes all about making the baby.  You get mad at the couple on the street glowing with a new child or the woman with a baby bump.  You don't want to face another test or another visit to the sad and depressing room filled with desperate people just like you.

You try, you fail.  It is tough and no one tells you how hard this can be.  The bills get bigger and the stress mounts for both of you.  What else can go wrong?  The whole process really sucks.

For me it went on like this for two long years and more than a few disappointments.  The day my wife started puking was one of the happiest of my life.  Could it be we were really pregnant?  Would this end well?

I can't say how it will end but as of right now we have made it through the first trimester and are pregnant with Twins!

After all the heartache now the real stuff starts....