It was almost one and a half month that we found that we were pregnant. Both of us are equally excited about our first-born. But along with the joyride that pregnancy brings in, there are a number of perennial hazards too that an expectant couple face. While the mom actually goes through the pain and all body changes, the dad is the one who deals with all the mood swings and at the same time ensures enough treatment and care for the mom.

Here, I am talking about morning sickness, which is the most common phenomenon during pregnancy.

As we woke up one morning, my wife started complaining about certain restlessness that she was going through. During our last visit to the clinic, our doctor warned us about morning sickness during the initial phase of pregnancy. So, I was a little prepared for the situation. So, I asked her what was wrong. When she ensured me that it was just a little nausea and nothing else, I started planning my day. As soon as I was about the leave the home for work, she told me that she was staying home, as she was really not feeling well.

I tried to understand how she was actually feeling. She said that initially it was only nausea but later she threw up twice during and after bath. As suggested by our doctor, we both agreed that she should stay home and take rest, because morning sickness also occurs due to lack of sleep.  Second thing I did was, I opened all the windows of the home to allow some fresh air to come in. But my wife was still feeling unwell. So, I tried to make her feel better by spraying some of her favorite perfume onto her palm. Well, thank God, I tried that! She started feeling much better.

I made sure to keep enough drinking water close to her, because she needs to be well-hydrated during the stage. My wife does not want to eat a full plate of food since she has gotten pregnant. So I kept sufficient portion of her favorite food items into the refrigerator. And I left for work. When I came back later that day, my wife was completely okay. I thought it was over, but little did I know what were there in store for me in the next couple of mornings.

Next morning, after I came out of the washroom after having a bath, my wife started feeling unwell, just like the previous day. I repeated what I did last day. She again felt sick in the next morning, same time. At that moment, something occurred to me! Our doctor once mentioned that morning sickness is mainly smell-associated and is often random. It’s difficult to draw a pattern. But if you can find a pattern, maybe you can treat it too. Yes, I found out that the main reason for my wife’s morning sickness was the fragrance of my shaving cream, which I used to apply every morning.

As I found out the reason, I immediately got rid of it. Now my wife’s morning sickness is very random, as expected.

The post Dad Diary – Dealing With the Perennial Hazard – Morning Sickness appeared first on Stem Cell Banking Guide and Pregnancy Tips For New Parents.

As an expectant dad, I sometimes feel left out of the pregnancy experience. My wife, on the other hand, as the mum to be, is getting all the focus and attention. So, I was looking for a way to reconnect with the entire pregnancy journey. I was thrilled when our gynecologist prescribed the first sonogram in the pregnancy.

I’ve heard that fathers who are part of the first sonogram are able to bond with the unborn baby easily. Up until now, I had created an image of my baby in my mind. This would mean that I actually get to see my child for the very first time. Hear the heartbeat.

On the appointed day, I drove my wife to the local diagnostic clinic. We waited for our turn for about 20 odd minutes or so. My wife was made to lie down. I made double sure that she was comfortable. The technician arrived and exchanged a few pleasantries with the both of us. I don’t even know what my replies were. All I could think about was my baby and what he or she was going to look like.

The very first ultrasound image of my unborn child is a powerful moment for expectant fathers and I totally bear witness to that. I was staring at the monitor and there my baby was. Possibly not any bigger than the size of a pea. I cried like a baby when I first heard the heartbeat. I couldn’t believe this was real. I couldn’t believe my wife was carrying around another human life inside of her. I couldn’t believe I was going to be a dad.

This was one of the key moments for me as an expectant father that established the reality of the coming child. It also reassured me that everything in the pregnancy was going well.

One of my friends who’d recently had a baby, had once told me about how he had felt seeing that first ultrasound of his baby. “My heart started beating faster just to hear a life — boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. It just felt like — the feeling’s indescribable, I was just blown away, like my eyes filled up but it’s like I won’t cry, I just was so happy to hear it…. The heartbeat is like letting me know it’s on the way, get ready.”

Being a responsible parent meant that I needed to make sure that I have a steady job because my child’s eating depended on me. If I was going to be out of a job that would mean my child would go hungry and I’d rather my child ate before I did. While some may say that these are just drastic, random thoughts, but I did think of these things. Most dads have plans and dreams that extend beyond the immediate future of the baby and across the child’s lifespan.

As I drove home with my wife, I got some time to reflect on the role that I will be playing in my baby’s life. This was a key step in preparing towards serious parenthood.

After all, for dads, there’s nothing greater than “Seeing is believing!”

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