same time, do not overeat, because excess weight can harm both the mother (risk of high blood pressure, toxemia of pregnant women, diabetes ...) and the baby at birth.

“My wife no longer wears a wedding ring. I dare not ask why. Does she need to focus more on the baby?
Hit the sky! She simply foresees that her fingers will get fat and it will be painful to wear not only an engagement ring, but also any other ring. Have you heard the word "edema"?

And I had it
Eric, 34, father of 5-month-old Tina:

“At the beginning of my pregnancy, I couldn’t find my place. I kept saying to myself: “He wouldn't exist without me!” Still, I gave him 50% of the genetic heritage, the same amount as my mother. And it is my half that will determine who will be - a boy or a girl. And my wife also reassured me, explaining that this pregnancy would have been so difficult for her if not for me. All this helped me a lot to gradually find my place.

“Friends have a disgusting way of touching my wife on the stomach. Can I tell them that I don't like it?"
Some time before the birth, your loved ones may want to touch the belly of the expectant mother in order to bring happiness to the little person who is hiding inside. The only people who are not allowed to do this are those who ask your permission as if you are the sole owner of this treasure! But you have every right to say “no” and should not, in any case, explain your refusal and give any diplomatic arguments. Just say you don't like it. Well, of course, except for those cases when the expectant mother herself finds real satisfaction in this. In this case, just be patient.

"How soon can you find out the sex of the unborn child?"
The key moment is the second ultrasound around the 22nd week of pregnancy. Until this time, there is nothing to think about how to paint the nursery - in blue or pink, you still won’t guess! Even on the second ultrasound, there is uncertainty. And most often this uncertainty stems from the position of the fetus, favorable or not very favorable for viewing its “faucet” at a given moment. During the second, morphological ultrasound, each part of the embryo is studied in detail, especially the heart, urinary apparatus, brain, limbs (fingers are counted), spine, face and, if possible, the genitals, when the baby wants it. In fact, sex determination is not systematic, because it does not affect the medical side of the pregnancy in any way.

These dads are so cute!
Women simply melt in front of the father of their unborn child in the following cases:

When he indulges in intricate pseudo-medical explanations to show that he read the beginning of the article about the role of amniotic fluid or haptonomy.

When he gorges himself on chocolate ice cream, keeping up with her, only to spare her guilt.

When he trades in his tart and spicy eau de toilette for a fresh herbal fragrance just because her sense of smell has completely changed.

When he enthusiastically runs around the baby stores, with a catalog under his arm, and asks the saleswoman: “Where do you have sleeping bags for newborns?”

When he freezes with delight in front of tiny pajamas.

When he passionately begins to defend the right of a pregnant woman to be served out of line at the cash desk of the nearest supermarket.

“Since when can I feel the baby moving in the belly of my beloved?”
The mother usually has to wait until the fifth month of pregnancy to feel the first movements of the baby if this is the first child, and a month earlier for subsequent pregnancies. At first, the movements are very imperceptible, as if small bubbles burst in the stomach. Gradually, the child's limbs lengthen, the head becomes more mobile ... and the mother feels it. But you, daddy, will not feel your baby moving in your wife's stomach until the end of the sixth month. Moments of rest, when the expectant mother is resting or falling asleep, are the most favorable for the baby to frolic. It bends and unbends the arms and legs. At first, these are simple reflexes, but over time, the baby is getting better control of his movements. Be patient if you feel it move once and then nothing! The cunning one may decide not to move anymore when you came up to your mother's call and put your hands on her stomach. Or he will move in a completely different place.

“Can haptonomy help me connect with my child?”
Haptonomy really provides parents with the opportunity to make real contact with their child long before birth. It is a matter of learning, over a series of sessions, the language and gestures adapted to such an exchange. Concentrate on the child, positioning the hands in such a way that he responds to various pressures, pulsates and moves. This ощущение сильно отличается от того, которое мама обычно испытывает. Preparation is also very useful for dad, who will easily find his own. a place near the child during pregnancy and later, at the time of his birth. Dad will reveal how touch can soothe and ease tension in his wife. He will learn light pressure, which will help to change the muscle tone of the expectant mother and relax all her muscles, including the muscles of the perineum and uterus. On the day of delivery, both parents can actively participate in the birth of their child: mother, gradually guiding him to the exit for fresh air, and father, alleviating the suffering of his wife with the necessary precise gestures and helping her stay in contact with the child ready to be born.

This интересно!
Jump into amniotic fluid

This clear, sterile liquid, in which the embryo floats during pregnancy, is the place of real life and interchange. It not only allows the future baby to move easily, but also absorbs shocks: it accumulates various taste, olfactory, sound sensations, provides moisture with the help of water and mineral salts contained in it, and maintains a stable temperature around the embryo of 37 ° C, which is one of the necessary conditions for normal development. Amniotic fluid is 96.4% water, it contains mineral salts, amino acids, enzymes, proteins… Sometimes you can even find a hair in it! The embryo swallows the amniotic fluid, filters it, then excretes it in the urine, which allows it to be constantly renewed.

“I am very afraid that my wife will have a miscarriage. How often does this happen?"
The threat of miscarriage and possible deformities is the main fear of future parents. 75% of these fears take place in the first three months of pregnancy. That's why you shouldn't be screaming at all street corners that you're going to be a dad in eight and a half months! Miscarriages occur in 15-25% of pregnant women, and most of them are unexplained. This результат стечения биологических, инфекционных и психологических факторов. As a result of a miscarriage, your wife is inevitably left feeling guilty about not being able to bear the child to the end. In this case, you must encourage and reassure her, and your role in this is very large.

“We love talking to the baby and we even gave him a special name. Is it correct?"
You lovingly follow the development of your baby, make plans with him and his mother, you are transported with him into the future. invented your nickname "kitten", "nut", "baby", etc. gives you the opportunity to feel more concretely the still abstract presence of this child, even in cases where you do not want to know his gender.

“What happens during a scheduled visit to the doctor?”
The doctor interrogates, weighs, makes measurements, measures arterial pressure. At the first consultation, he also listens to the heart and lungs and examines the mammary glands.

At subsequent consultations, the gynecologist will:

• examination of the abdomen;

• palpation of the abdomen (study of uterine contractions, determination of the position of the fetus, the volume of amniotic fluid);

• measurement of the height of the uterus from the pubis to the fundus of the uterus using a centimeter to clinically determine the normal development of the fetus;

• auscultation of fetal heart sounds;

• if necessary, examination of the vagina with a medical mirror and tactilely.

And finally, the doctor listens to complaints, questions, gives advice and recommendations.

“We disagree with each other about the choice of name.
How serious is this, doctor?
Naming battles are not uncommon. But this is normal, because each name carries a lot of associations, brings us back to the books and films that we loved so much (“Romeo and Juliet” ...), to meetings (Natalya, my ex ...), to relatives (Uncle Leva, adventurer on his own head). In short, this is everyone's personal life, and it is different for dad and mom. “Oh, Elena, so you don’t like it?” We clear the area. We ask the wife about her associations and tell her about ours. For you, Evgenia is your beloved grandmother, and for her, a nasty teacher from school, a complete psychopath. We will listen to each other, respect each other's opinion, this will allow us to immediately exclude some names. The system for compiling a list of names is effective.

Each for his part offers six to eight names. Each crosses out in the list of the other those that he considers unsuitable, leaving at least two. Then you need to argue and defend your choice and come to an agreement by the time the child is registered. Childbirth is often the trigger. The