Always thank the Great Mystery that you get up to 9 months to grow these qualities and to enjoy their growth. Becoming more aware can mean simple things like being more aware of the colors on the autumn trees. Permit yourself to recognize and appreciate this quality growing in you. Men in modern cultures are not as admired for awareness as they were when we all lived without modern conveniences. An aware and skillful hunter, farmer or potter would be highly admired.
Perhaps you’ve watched some programs on TV of tribal groups and wondered how could they track so well, or know which foods are safe to eat … or how to prepare poisonous foods so that they become safe to eat? This is learned awareness one of the skills you are growing through the 5 phases of pregnancy. You may have already developed awareness to a high level in your work or hobbies. Awareness stimulates our deeper intuitive or instinctive abilities.
Awareness of your baby
Between 12-24 weeks the uterus grows quickly which means your baby does as well, but you can’t quite feel it yet but you can definitely feel the growth of its home … the uterus. This means you do pay attention to your baby. You still won’t be able to feel your baby move until the end of this phase. That can be frustrating but you can also become more aware of your baby and how you feel.
Awareness to the pregnant woman
During this 2nd phase of pregnancy, you’ll become really aware of a huge change in her belly. Her belly grows week after week. She’ll move from wearing her own clothes into maternity clothing. She is now obviously pregnant. You’ll probably also be aware that some of the physically unpleasant symptoms of pregnancy are now melting away into the background. This is such a relief to the woman. Even if the two of you planned this pregnancy, the early weeks can be absolutely unpleasant.
Yes, she might have some health issues that require added attention but most women do begin to feel well during this phase and it lasts until the last few weeks of pregnancy when she just gets sick of being pregnant. Some women do continue to feel poorly and that does become a challenge but this is Life.
Attention to detail skill
Growing attention to detail during Phase #2 of pregnancy has so many dimensions. Your pregnant partner is hopefully feeling good. This is the first phase when women glow. Seeing this glow is a form of growing attention to detail. Sure we most often use growing attention to detail means such mundane things like cleaning, cooking, shopping and doing the laundry or even tidying up. That’s part of your growth as well.
Also, notice how you are feeling in this 2nd phase of pregnancy. Hopefully, you’re feeling better too! Are the heightened emotions that arrived once pregnancy is confirmed at a bit more settled? Are you beginning to make some changes in how you handle your money, your relationship, your work, sex, food?
Grow your attention to the detail of how you feel this reality is going to impact you, your baby’s mother and all aspects of your lives. And this is where you can begin to grow acceptance that you have to make room for your offspring.
Once you accept this rapid change then you can go along for the ride and start to see the world in a new way. Soon you’ll be able to see the world through the eyes of a child and this is astonishing for all of us who were children yet saw the world from our own perception.
It’s also very important that you ask the baby’s mother to pay attention to you as well. One risk women have is to pay attention to themselves and the baby above and beyond you. That doesn’t work well.
Your bottom line
Great dads live with intent. They pay attention to the details of their lives AND enjoy doing so. They do not leave the ‘details’ to the women. Great dads do not opt-out. Great dads are human beings who love being men and love being dads and love their children. In fact, they use their ‘work’ to get home to be with their family. Men who are not confident and comfortable in their role as a dad often believe their only job is to ‘bring home the bacon.’ Being a man/father goes way beyond that.
Head to Udemy for all the Fathers-to-be Pregnancy Academy courses. Then at 24 weeks of pregnancy, come back here for the online birth classes and start with the birth preparation and birth-coaching skills … all developed by hundreds of dads and moms.
Birthing Better skills are housed in Common Knowledge Trust.