As I enter my third and final trimester, I can’t help but reflect on how far my husband and I have come since we initially found out we were expecting last year. It’s wild to think that we’ll be bringing home TWO precious baby boys in a few short weeks. To say I feel incredibly blessed would be an understatement.
Throughout my pregnancy, my husband has been amazing and supportive, and it truly means the world to wake up next to my best friend and biggest support every day. However, that’s not to say that we haven’t faced our own challenges throughout this pregnancy. No relationship is perfect, and it’s totally normal to experience a variety of different emotions when going through something as monumental and life-changing as a first-time pregnancy.
Nevertheless, this journey has improved our relationship and allowed us to grow and be more supportive of one another.
Include Each Other in Baby-Related Things
Whether you’re decorating the nursery or going to ultrasound appointments, it is important that you try to do these things as a couple instead of tackling them on your own.
It can be tempting to say, “I’ll just do it myself,” but it’s important to loop your partner in and make them feel included in the everyday tasks and activities to prepare for the baby’s arrival.
Enjoy Your Last Few Weeks of a Child-Free Life
As excited as you probably are for the baby to arrive, it’s also okay to wonder about how your life will change or even mourn the child-free life you once had.
If you’re in your third trimester, try to savor these last few weeks with just your partner. Consider booking a weekend “babymoon” to relax and unwind with your partner. It will probably be your last couples’ trip for a long long time!
Nest
Get each other involved with nesting. Whether it is setting up the cribs, having both be at the baby shower, both unpacking baby packages- this is helpful in spreading the job duties out- even though they may not seem like it for the mom- it can be a lot of work nesting.
Empathy
Of course, empathy is always key no matter what stage your relationship is at but I have found it to be necessary to take a deep breath and remind myself of what and how my partner may be feeling. Of course, being the one who is pregnant can feel like you are the one going through it all but your partner is going through a range of emotions and may be dealing with stressors that can be easily forgotten when dealing with pregnancy symptoms. Holding space for each other’s emotions and using an empathetic approach toward hearing one another out is critical.
Rest!
If you are feeling like you both could use a weekend to sleep, then enjoy it and sleep in! There’s nothing worse than two sleep-deprived parents trying to manage their way through the third trimester. This is the time to really indulge yourself in all the things you can do before having children and the number one thing is rest!
Use “I Feel” Statements
There can be a lot of emotions going on as you expect the arrival of your little one. Using I feel statements helps communication when one partner is feeling a certain type of way where they want to voice their feelings without sounding accusatory.
Keep the Lines of Communication Open
This is important in general, but especially as you move closer and closer to your due date. You both might feel scared, overwhelmed, and uncertain of the future, so staying connected to your partner during this time is really important.
Encourage each other to talk through any feelings you may have, whether good or bad and remind your partner that they can always come to you. After all, it’s just the two of you in this together, so you must be each other’s biggest allies during this time.
