Baby planning time - Your partner's preparation

Having a baby will change your partner's lifestyle as well so he must be mentally prepared for this but most often, as all pre-pregnancy care and planning is centered around the woman, the partners are usually caught unaware!

The following guidelines will help prepare him in the best possible way:

	He must ensure that you all are financially able to bring up the family. This is important because even if you are the main earner of the two of you, you will be unable to go back to work for some time after the birth or maybe even before, if you have complications during your pregnancy.
	He must be prepared emotionally for the nine months of pregnancy ahead as you have your bouts of nausea, mood swings, loss of interest in sex etc.
	Your partner can try and keep stress out of his and your life, if possible. Stress can put you off sex and hence, delay conception.
	If his work brings him in contact with any risk, he must try and minimise the exposure for the time when you are trying for a baby.
	If he has a fertility problem, he must approach a specialist. Being quiet and shy about it will do you both no good.
	Smoking can delay conception and can also harm your baby in the womb. If your partner smokes, he should try and break the habit as soon as possible. In fact, he can act as a source of encouragement for you as well and help prevent you from smoking.
	Alcohol and street drugs can inhibit fertility. If your partner consumes either of them, he must cut back on his habit at least for a few months before you conceive.
	He can encourage you to exercise and eat a good diet as being fit plays a role in a healthy conception.
	He must be open and discuss any genetic problems he knows of in his family as they could be inherited by your baby (although your partner may not suffer from them himself).
	He must have a positive approach to the entire process of conception and bear with you when you insist on making love on those days!!