Concept to reality

The first few weeks of pregnancy are quite weird for a bloke. I have come to this conclusion by experiencing it first hand.

For the uninitiated, it goes something like this.

Darling wife comes out of bathroom and hands me a plastic thing, a bit like a toothbrush handle. She says "Honey, I'm not going to be drinking for a while...", I finally twig, see two lines and get the whole We're Going To Have A Baby thing. It's a dizzying, confusing, exciting time.

Depending on when you want to tell people this life-changing news, you..erm, well, tell them. Everyone shakes your hand, says "well done", "enjoy the last few months of freedom", and so on.

But nobody tells you this:-

Then for the bloke... well, nothing changes. All the changes from that point onwards are in the woman. She gets sick, she craves weird foods (luckily my better half craved cheeseburgers and so I could happily go along with that) but me - I don't.

I reckon blokes get used to the "We're having a baby in a few months" thought process, asnd there it stays. Despite all the baby forums and web sites that show various stages of baby development, it doesn't really hit home. Especially when, as I have posted previously, no medical professional seems willing to confirm the pregnancy for about 3 months.

It's then that accusations can fly in from our darling wives that we're losing interest in the whole thing. we're not, but nothing seems to be happening after the initial rush of madness.

Until the scan. Notwithstanding the trauma (OK, melodramatic word after the event - see previous post - but it was at the time) of our first scan, this is the time that husbands/partners/significant others can finally see what's been causing all the fuss, to-do, sickness and cheesburger-feasting.

The ultrasound scan, once you've established that everything seems ok, there is a heartbeat, the genetic blueprint seems to have worked thus far, is a really emotional moment. I welled up anyway, but when the wee one kicked (then went back to sleep!) I just wanted to burst!

It's at that point that it all becomes real, and pregnancy isn't just a concept - especially for men.

So, if there are any slightly panicky women out there who think that their other half has lost interest, and you haven't had a scan yet -well, if they're anything like me, the scan will just prove that they blooming well haven't lost any interest - they just need more than a concept!