“In addition to being a crucial and defining moment, womb-life is bountiful, beautiful, and blissful.” — Sabrina Steczko (inspired by Gurmukh Kaur’s book: Bountiful, Beautiful and Blissful

Did you know that 40% of marriages end in divorce? Statistics Canada say that about 1.2 million separated or divorced Canadians have children 18 years or younger.

“Children are great imitators. So let’s give them something great to imitate.”—Anonymous

Clarence Lochhead, executive director of the Vanier Institute of the Family, states; “We just have to come to grips with the diversity that actually is within our experience. Then we need to find ways to address and take on the challenges that face families, but do it in an inclusive way that makes sense for the reality of life today, and not some ideal notion of what a family is or ought to be.”

Advice For Fathers-To-Be

“Life can never be ‘the way it use to be’, evolution doesn’t go backwards” — Jacob Liberman

Open conversation about your perspective, values, beliefs and concerns about parenthood. Think about your intentions and their implication. Communicate clearly about this shared responsibility prior to conception. Pregnancy and parenthood will turn parents’ worlds inside out and upside down. Couples have an opportunity to grow an even deeper connection together through this phase of pregnancy, and through birthing a vibrant human being into the world. This is an expression of parents love. Fathers’ and paternal partners within same sexe couples, you will be confronted with new challenges as your partner is adjusting to the oscillating changes of her body and mood, so encourage her to express her feelings and actively listen to her. Attune with her and become more sensitive to her needs. She needs you to support, encourage, and inspire her so she can see these changes from a positive perspective. She may want you to resolve something, she may simply want you to listen, or she may just need you to go get ice cream at 10 pm to satisfy that craving. Be supportive of her desires, yet remind her of the need of a healthy balanced diet. It is your job to be reliable and accountable, to look deep into what is happening, and to keep her in the know of optimistic possibility. Having children is incredibly different from raising children. As her abdomen grows, she may become resentful because she is physically limited. She may become stressed, depressed, and complain about her expanding belly or the multitude of changes in her body. Remind her that this is only a temporary condition. She may find it difficult to do simple things like bending over to put on her boots, to turn on the bath water, or to arrange her belly behind the car steering wheel. Shine light on, and help her to see, the humour in these situations, but never laugh at her. Empower the vision and foundation of love, communication, and cooperation. Especially in the moments where she is feeling down, uplift her and fortify the loving healthy family environment you wish to create.