We’re now in the 2nd phase of pregnancy. At first 9 months seem like forever. Even at 12 weeks, The Birth feels far away. By 24 weeks The Birth seems right around the corner. Thankfully there’s an old adage: ‘Nine months to grow. None months to know’. This means during nine months of pregnancy you, your baby and your baby’s mother are all growing. Your baby and mother are growing physically, emotionally, psychologically. You’re growing emotionally and psychologically… by choice.

This 2nd phase is a period of delight. Pregnant bellies are our common human, reproductive, primal and animal experiences. Pregnancy stimulates a total engagement of all parts of our body, mind, emotions, senses, and feelings. We become supercharged. The woman becomes supercharged and you do too.

This delight is what swells a man’s … (think what word you put in there.)… heart. This delight in his procreation expands his chest. Your chest, your heart. When delight enters your heart it brings a lightness of Being. Enjoy it and cultivate it. Once you have learned to cultivate delight, then you can expand the situations that you permit yourself to feel that emotion.

Delight can be the most simple thing … ‘I drove slowly and felt calmer’ or ‘My wife’s belly glows’ or ‘I feel more mature’.

Your bottom line

Now’s the time to delight, delight, delight, and delight … and if that doesn’t bring a smile to your mouth and laughter from your heart then you are not practicing delight.

Clarity skill

Do you know that 19,000 people die each year in the US because they cannot afford basic health care? Do you know that 90,000 die each year in the US from medical misadventure? What does clarity have to do with these statistics? These could actually be any set of statistics … so many topics about death, destruction, and devastation. You could research how many people are killed in auto accidents each year or permanently disabled. What about the glaciers that are almost gone in places … the only source of water for millions who cannot survive.

Why am I talking about this?

Something happens about this time in pregnancy … clarity about potential problems. If you have already experienced problems in this pregnancy then clarity is already a skill you’ve been growing. Sometimes it’s hard to stay focused on what is particularly if it’s unpleasant. It’s tempting to want to escape unpleasant things. Sometimes you just want someone else to take charge or quit.

Once you wake up into your adult manhood you will embrace clarity. Through an open eye, heart, and senses you begin to transform the world by your presence. Clarity is a form of conscious living. Pay attention to detail. See what needs to be done. See what is. Delight in what is even if its less then perfect by a long shot. Be clear that every fiber of your being is growing beyond being an adult man to becoming a father.

Growing clarity is giving yourself permission to go to a natural environment and pay attention to the trees, water, streams, oceans, fields, and mountains. Clarity is light and enlightenment.

Your bottom line

Boy, if this seems fruity you know it’s not. You know there have been moments in your life when everything was clear … the good and bad. When this happens its the ‘wow’ moment when the ‘light bulb goes off’. It’s a still point or a place where roads meet and choices are made.

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 class 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.