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Supporting your pregnant partner

Have you just found out that your partner is pregnant and not sure how to support her? As she is the one growing the baby, it can seem like you are peripheral to this amazing event – not true. There are many ways you can make the next weeks and months set the tone for the beginning of your parenthood journey together.

Growing relationship

The best start for babies is to have parents who love each other and want to spend time together. When baby comes along, there will be less time to spend together as a couple, so make the most of it and create a stronger bond in preparation for the years ahead. Being pregnant may change what you do and where you go – the important thing is to value and respect each other.

  • Spend time together
  • Go out on dates
  • Ask her about her day
  • Pay her compliments
  • Say ‘I love you’

Protecting health

Your partner will benefit from a healthy lifestyle during her pregnancy by eating well, drinking plenty of water, gentle exercising and being relaxed. Read about dietary and exercise precautions during pregnancy so that you can support her. Earlier in pregnancy she may not feel too well and later in pregnancy she is likely to be tired, so sharing household tasks really helps.

  • Help her feel positive and confident
  • Go food shopping together
  • Cook meals
  • Limit your alcohol intake to support her in not drinking in pregnancy
  • Give up smoking
  • Exercise together – go out for walks

Building a home

Many people move to a new house during a pregnancy, so it may be that you are renovating or decorating your home. You are likely to want to prepare a room for your new baby and buy all kinds of baby equipment which you never knew existed before now.

  • Research baby equipment
  • Agree a budget and what you will buy
  • Decorate and refurbish together

Practising and preparing for the birth

In KGHypnobirthing , practice and preparation are the most essential part of pregnancy. Thinking about the type of birth you want, researching the options and being prepared to ask questions is one element. The other is to practise the relaxation scripts together so that you are both prepared when baby makes an entrance into the world.

  • Attend KGHypnobirthing classes to learn the approach and techniques. This will revolutionise your ideas about birth.
  • Prepare your approach to questions during pregnancy and labour
  • Read the relaxation scripts to your partner
  • Write positive affirmations and send them as a text message / stick around the house
  • Listen to the relaxation scripts
  • Regular practice of breathing and relaxation ready for the birth (only 10 minutes a day)

The birth

You will play a critical role during labour, whether you opt for a home or hospital birth. You are your partner’s advocate, so knowing what you would both like for the birth is essential so that you can speak directly to the medical staff when she wishes to focus on birthing your baby.

  • Be confident and prepared
  • Protect your partner
  • Trust that your partner instinctively knows best when it comes to birth
  • Ask and answer questions
  • Look after the practicalities – food, drink, comfort

Supporting your new family

As you begin to bond as a family it can be best to protect mother and baby from excessive attention from well-meaning friends and family.

  • Schedule times for family and friends to visit
  • Keep visit times short
  • Prepare meals ahead for your partner and you
  • Make sure your partner remains hydrated whilst she is breastfeeding

Your role is very important during pregnancy and birth and we often hear fathers say how valuable they found KGHypnobirthing to be in bringing them closer together and experiencing the pregnancy as a couple.

”For fearful dads, I would urge them to go along to a KGHypnobirthing parents’ course – you’ll be amazed at how much you will learn.”

Andrew Lovell, hypnobirthing dad, therapist and musician


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