Now man can finally feel what it is like to give birth. With all those “I can’t believe how painful that was” response videos from youtube, I wonder why it is so difficult for males to understand the female experience?

The rate of the decline in relationship satisfaction is twice as steep for couples who have children than otherwise.

Ask yourself: “Do I have what it takes for pregnancy?”

The dangerous mentality most first-time moms-to-be have

The transition to parenthood creates profound impacts on your overall happiness but unfortunately in many cases, not for the better…

I’m in no position to judge anyone’s decision to start a family, but I do see a common mistake among many moms-to-be, especially those of us who are independent problem solvers from the corporate world.

Please, if you’d never want to wake up someday in the future and realize that it was a wrong decision to get pregnant, let this next sentence sink deep under your skull and into the core of your being:

Your baby is not the only priority of your pregnancy.

Yes, you must do all it takes to make sure the baby is healthy. But if you make it all about your baby, you are putting the future of your life and your family in danger.

Put the mask on yourself before you put it on your child

Do you know that your baby can feel it and also be exposed to stress hormones when you feel stressed and cry?

Your mood swings and morning sickness are already disturbing you, and now you will need to toughen out the withdrawal symptoms from not drinking coffee. Maybe you are one of those lucky ones who doesn’t have any of those physical symptoms, as you become more connected with your baby, your mind will start to feed you things you are not able to control and to make you anxious.

What you need to focus on instead, is to breathe and feel the life in you, to believe you are the wonderful, unique, whole, person you have always been, and to look within, find ways to transform thoughts and emotions that don’t serve you.

Make this bonding journey part of your partner’s too.

“The quality of your life is the quality of your relationships” ― Tony Robbins

In many aspects of our lives, we are very much influenced by those who are closest to us. Not to mention your significant other. You might think of the pregnancy experience is the ultimate transformational experience you will ever undergo.

The truth is, so is nurturing your relationship. After all, you two are the foundation of this family.

You certainly don’t want the parenthood decision to make you feel miserable together as a couple later on.

You can gain the deepest insights concerning yourself;

You can keep yourself accountable and check in with your development;

And ultimately you can have the optimal environment to create contributions that are bigger than yourself.

Don’t let pregnancy deteriorate that, if your relationship stops growing, so will you, and your future family. Instead, use it to make your pregnancy the most magical experience ever.

(And that’s what this post is about.)

It is naturally easier for biological mothers to have a bond with the baby with factors like antenatal bonding and hormones. But you want your significant other to bond with the baby too from Day 1.

It is more than just that you want your partner to understand the physical and emotional changes you experience. With all the possible chaos you are not able to control after the baby is born, a deep bond and understanding from your partner will help you tremendously to alleviate all the post-pregnancy anxiety.

How? Make a choice and Do the work

“We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become each day.” ― Richard G. Scott

I am no expert and I don’t believe there is one golden ticket to anything. You will just have to dive in together and try it out. However, I do believe in the power of growing through consistency.

I think honest communication and consistent commitment through the simple yet magical act of writing thoughts down together every day is the work you must choose to dedicate.

Journaling can lead to better sleep, reduction in chronic pain, a stronger immune system, and less stress. Sounds familiar? Those are among the most common issues pregnant women experience nowadays.

Mindful journaling allows you to get out of our auto-pilot mode to examine your day and to be aware of your emotional state, which is critical if you want to be the master of your pregnancy. HERE is one of those extremely helpful tools.

Now, the keywords here are “TOGETHER” and “EVERY DAY”.

You will write something special you want to share;

you will reflect together on progress and challenges;

you will practice gratitude and envision parenthood;

You will …

Complete the sentence yourself. Have fun doing it! A dedicated relationship is a place for you to innovate and inspire each other.

Make that choice every single day to commit time and energy in journaling together. You both have to grow into the ideal parents you want to become.

You have decided to get pregnant. Your journey has just started.

Keep growing. Together.