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P RE GNA NCY
Avoiding The Daddy Pregnancy Pounds BY DANA KAMP
She asks you to stop at the store on your way home and grab a jar of peanut butter and a bag of Oreos. You do this without hesitation because you love her and you know her pregnancy cravings are strong and real. And because you know your life will be easier if she is happy while carrying your child. While you are making this unexpected food run, you grab some chips and beer for yourself. Her cravings = extra snack allowances for you = added calories to your diet. This wouldn’t be that terrible, except for the fact that you aren’t the one growing a person inside of you. Allow her to wait at the door of the store/ church/doctor’s office and walk (or jog) to the car and pick her up.
“During my first pregnancy, I gained 34 pounds and I'm pretty sure my husband gained about 25! Most of mine came off within a couple of weeks. His? Not so much.”
Be a gentleman and carry the groceries, walk the dog, lift the vacuum up the staircase—anything that may be more difficult for her to do as the pregnancy progresses.
This occurrence is more common than many think. So, how do you avoid gaining weight along with your pregnant wife? Here are some quick tips to avoid those accidental pregnancy pounds.
Do a pregnancy yoga DVD with her!
Your partner has given up alcohol for the health of the baby. You can support her by doing the same, and cut calories at the same time. When she asks for the king-size chocolate bar, just buy the regular size for yourself.
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Fill the fridge with fresh fruits and veggies so you both have easy, healthy snacks to grab. Help her with some of the household chores that are normally her responsibility. You’d be surprised how many calories you’ll burn scrubbing the shower, and you’ll keep her from breathing in the fumes from the cleaner. If you don’t normally get a second or third helping at your meals, don’t start now—even if she does.
While many women
may not believe it, there is an actual condition called Couvade Syndrome that men may have while their partners are pregnant. Some of the symptoms they may experience include nausea, leg cramps, vomiting and abdominal or back pain. In addition to these physical symptoms, some men may also have psychological changes occur such as mood swings, cravings, irritability, and feelings of anxiety, stress or jealousy.
You have to see this!
Two men experience simulated labor pain: http://vimeo.com/65927758
© 2013 iStockphoto LP. All rights reserved
Samantha Vermeulen, a Gainesville mommy of three, experienced this with her husband when she was pregnant.