As any woman who’s been pregnant knows, having a baby is tough. Ladies, you’ve seen firsthand just how hard a pregnancy can be on your family. Late night food runs for the perfect burger. Stretch marks. Complete strangers in the supermarket who love to rub bulging bellies like they’re Aladdin’s lamp. And that’s only mentioning what happens to your husband during these difficult nine months.
Since my wife is pregnant with our first child, I feel like it would only be right of me to inform other men of just how hard it is to be an expecting father. Everyone talks about what you can do to prepare yourself, but until you experience it dads, you’ll never know quite what to expect when you’re expecting.
The key to a successful pregnancy is a strong support system. Without the help of others, you won’t go very far. Let me give you an example. Not too long ago, I was sitting in a hospital room with my wife. The gynecologist walked in and asked, “How has the morning sickness been?” Surprised, I told her that it was tough on my stomach, but I would get through it all right.
I don’t know, it was just really nice to know that someone cared about all of the changes happening in my body. Like, she was pretty legit in my book. She didn’t let gender lines get in the way of helping her patient. When she left the room I even gave myself an ultrasound just to make sure everything was alright. Don’t worry, just a bad hot dog from James Coney Island.
To be completely serious though, the mood swings have been terrible. The other day my wife asked me how she looked in one of her new maternity dresses. I immediately said, “You are stunning.” Then without warning, the tears began to flow. It came out of nowhere. I couldn’t help myself, she was just so pretty.
All of these changes shouldn’t come as a surprise though. I mean, I did just co-create another human being. Think about that for a moment. I helped build a miniature person inside of my wife’s stomach. Give credit where credit is due. Where’s the guys only baby shower?
Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate all that my wife has done to take care of me. If it wasn’t for her, I’d have to find another person to spread cocoa butter all over my thighs. Plus, I know she’ll be there for me when I need someone to hold my hand during labor. She’s really has been my rock these last few months.
I looked up “pregnant” in the dictionary once. I noticed that after I got past the first few definitions, the word is described as, “full of meaning; highly significant.” So in reality, I have the harder job. I’m not just pregnant for nine months. No, I have to be “full of meaning” and “highly significant” everyday of my life. Being a father doesn’t just begin at conception. It begins the day that you realize why you are alive. I don’t know about you, but that’s deeper than a birth canal.
I look forward to the day when the world will look past the first two definitions of “pregnant” in the dictionary, and instead, look to the third. I look forward to the day when our country is a place where we respect people of all genders equally. I look forward to the day when we’ll no longer judge individuals based on the content of their stomachs, but instead by the content of their character.
Wade’s Wisdom is a regular column by Wade Bearden. Here he shares his wisdom, knowledge, and intricate understanding of life to readers all over the world.
