Morning Sickness: 2nd real challenge for men

You may not be ready for your partner having morning sickness. You may not really know what to do, how to react and what to say. Morning sickness is important enough and affects enough women for you to have web resources available: http://www.morningsicknesshelp.com/ is one with some resources that will help you learn more. Morning sickness affects

We are writing to you about morning sickness, more on the line of how you can support your mate emotionally. Yes cleaning up and getting rid of things that trigger morning sickness are positive ways of helping, but it is your emotional support that is most needed.

Here is one woman's comments on the blog associated with the above mentioned link.

My husband is amazing...with everything else, but (1) he has no idea what to do for me being pregnant. it's the same even if i have a cold or something. How do i tell him with out being mean? and making him want to help less. (2) he just lays there at night while i'm moaning and groaning! and doesn;t even turn over. if he asks what's wrong it is like 15min after i've been moaning and then he asks like i'm disrupting his sleep. Hello! Pregnant woman here! he does not seem the least bit concerned. all he ever does is say-take some tylenol. (4) What?! Like that is supposed to do something. when i ask him to (5) rub my back he is very reluctant and after 3min falls asleep with the weight of his arm on my back. Argggh! . How did my prince in shining armor...who wanted this baby so bad, become an insensitive meanie? he calls me a mommy's girl, but she would know exactly what to do. (6) she would drive 25min over here just so that i would not have to get out of bed to get some water. when he gets home he rarely asks how i'm feeling (7) and then when i say not so good. he asks-well (8)what is wrong with you? Hello! I'm pregnant! everything is wrong. It seems like everyone else on here is talking about how awesome there partner is. Am I the only one!? he still comes in and asks (9) what’s for dinner. (10) he does not help me clean or anything. he truly does not get it. he does not understand and get this. (11) he is a softy! if i ask him to do something he gets his feelings hurt and I'm the mean one.

So do you see the hurt and frustration this woman has. We needed to be able to be kind and supportive especially when she can't eat anything. This guy is just acting like a guy: wants his sleep and for everything to be smooth. Yes she is going to be tired, grumpy, touchy and demanding. If you can’t hold down food for a long period of time you have all those symptoms. That's why this is so significant, like a wake-up call. But don't judge her for feeling miserable and don't say things like "What's wrong with you!"

Ok men let’s learn from her complaints:

(1) Don’t be clueless – learn
(2) Show care and concern – vocalize it
(3) It is your pregnancy too, so lose some sleep like you are weathering a storm with her
(4) Print out a list of tips to help her or read the associated book
(5) Ask her what you can do and how you can physically help her
(6) If you can’t handle the heat call others for morale support – like her mom
(7) Always ask how she feels and know she is going to feel like ^3^@^&*.
(8) Never ask this
(9) Learn to cook food – find her something like peppermint ice cream or something to help her as food is voodoo
(10) Come on – no TV and do the housework. She is sick with morning sickness – that’s why it is called sickness.
(11) Are you a softy – well don’t be, be a man and do what it takes to complete your mission

This is a training test for the real thing.

If you want a greater understanding read (you may need it) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morning_sicknes#causes

If you want more info look up the following book:
Managing Morning Sickness: A Survival Guide for Pregnant Women
By Miriam Erick
Edition: 2, revised, illustrated
Published by Bull Publishing Company, 2004
ISBN 0923521828, 9780923521820 412 pages


http://pregnancyandbaby.com/pregnancy/baby/Tips-to-ease-pregnancys-morning-sickness-4495.htm

Print out these tips and read them with your partner.

Men, do you know what an Episiotomy is?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Episiotomy

This is an overused procedure in hospitals. The picture on Wikipedia says a lot, but men should know that the tissue being cut is similiar to the tissue of the webbing between your fingers. Think about cutting the web tissue between your thumb and index finger and then stretching your hand to grasp a football. That small cut will just split further as you grasp the ball.

During a birth to keep a perineum intact, the skin needs to be stretched and lubricated and the baby needs to be eased out.

The integrity of the tissue is diminished once any incision is made. Thus tears that would not occur are more likely to occur once an Episiotomy is performed.

Ready for Birth? Sample some videos.

So Dads to Be. You want to see some clips of birth and get a feel to how different the experience can be.

Here is a vaginal birth in a hospital on video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_nodd8YK_Gs

Birth Center Birth at Mountain Birth Center in Colorado: Water Birth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccUROeqhsjQ

Unassisted Birth of Logan Westley
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bmc_7Tt_8bs&feature=related

C-section Birth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-malSepm04

Hypno-birthing Aline
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMtibFxubAY&feature=related

We want you to learn from the net. Open your mind to what childbirth is about what you might be involved in.

Tell us which type of birth you and your partner are interested in having. Or tell us what type of birth you had. Sound off and let others know about your experiences.