For Men

We are here to help.

So...she's pregnant?

First and foremost, don’t panic. Your upcoming decisions don’t rely on your shoulders alone. You have a partner to navigate your next steps who needs you now more than ever. Look out for her both emotionally and physically. How? Check out our tips below.

What to do:

Talk with her and LISTEN. Ghosting her or leaving isn’t going to make this go away. In fact, it’s going to make things a lot harder for both of you. Have frequent open and honest conversations!

Talk with each of your important people. Yeah, you may want to keep it a secret during the initial shock. But the people who will be directly involved (parents, guardians, etc.) HAVE to know what’s going on eventually. Who knows, maybe they’ll even be willing to help!

Educate yourself. How can you help if you don’t even really know what’s going on in her body? Learn about what is happening both to her body and to your baby with each trimester. Go to her parenting classes. Go to her birthing classes. Read a book. Listen to a podcast during your workout. The more informed you are, the less confusion you’ll feel!

Be honest with her and with yourself! This isn’t the time to cover up your feelings. Scared? Say that! Anxious? Say that! Confused? Say that! Chances are, she is feeling all the same things and to know that you aren’t alone in your feelings will be a huge relief!

Did you know?

Fact #1: Infants whose dads play with them have good mental and social outcomes.

Fact #2: When men become dads and are involved in their children’s lives they transform in many ways. They are…

Happier
Have better physical and mental health
Live longer
Have less depression
Have increased self-esteem
More active in their community
More involved with civic groups
Moved to… adopt a healthier model of masculinity, reduce alcohol and substance use, find stable, secure jobs, better manage and save money, strengthen family ties

Fact #3: Children with involved dads have fewer behavioral problems in middle childhood and adolescence.

Fact #4: Children whose dads read to them develop better language skills.

Have more questions?

There’s no doubt that this is hard. If you or your partner have more specific questions or concerns, reach out to us and we’d be happy to help.