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Expert Q&A:
What could be causing my husband to reject me during my pregnancy?

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Elaine Zwelling
Answered by Elaine Zwelling R.N., Ph.D., L.C.C.E., F.A.C.C.E.
Elaine Zwelling, R.N., Ph.D., has been involved in maternal-newborn health care for 40 years. She has a bachelor's degree in nursing from Capital University and a master's degree in nursing and a Ph.D. in Family Relations and Human Development from Ohio State University. Dr. Zwelling brings to the Pampers Parenting Network her experience of helping expectant parents enjoy their pregnancy, plan and create a positive birth experience, and learn about parenting their newborn baby. She is certified by Lamaze International as a childbirth educator, is a Fellow in the American College of Childbirth Educators, and has taught childbirth classes for 25 years. Dr. Zwelling was the director and faculty for the Lamaze International Childbirth Educator Certification Program of Florida; in that role she prepared many nurses to become childbirth educators.

Dr. Zwelling was a Professor of Maternal-Newborn Nursing for 23 years at both Capital University and Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio. At these institutions she taught undergraduate and graduate students and conducted research. For eight years she was a Senior Consultant with Phillips &; Fenwick, a women's health consulting firm in Santa Cruz, California, specializing in helping hospitals implement family-centered maternity care. Currently Dr. Zwelling is a Perinatal Nurse Consultant with the Hill-Rom Company. In this position, she provides comprehensive support and consultation to hospital maternity units to create quality care environments equipped with the appropriate equipment for labor and birth and provides clinical education for nursing staff.

Dr. Zwelling is the co-author of a maternal-newborn nursing textbook, Maternal-Newborn Nursing: Theory and Practice, and has published many professional journal articles related to maternal-newborn health care, family-centered maternity care, and childbirth education. Dr. Zwelling is a recognized speaker at professional conferences and teaches continuing education seminars for childbirth educators and perinatal nurses throughout the country.

Dr. Zwelling resides in Sarasota, Florida, and has a grown son, lovely daughter-in-law, and two grandchildren.

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Question


What could be causing my husband to reject me during my pregnancy?

Answer


Pregnancy is a challenging time for both expectant mothers and fathers, and there are a number of factors that could be affecting your husband's reactions. Without knowing you or the exact situation it's hard for me to give specifics about what may be going on for him, but here are a few ideas:

  • He may feel he was not ready to "be pregnant." Was the pregnancy planned or unexpected?
  • He may be feeling left out. Usually the woman is the one who receives all the attention from friends and family when a pregnancy is announced; few people even consider the father.
  • He may be frightened. Have you not been feeling well? The normal symptoms of early pregnancy can be all-consuming for the woman; it's possible that he is worried or does not want to make things worse for you. And yes, if the hormonal changes you've experienced have made you irritable or emotional, he may not know how to deal with this.
  • He may be afraid of having sex. It might help to have him go to your next prenatal exam, so that your health care provider can discuss the pregnancy with him as well.
  • He may be worrying about the changes that having a baby will bring to your life.

My best advice would be to have a long conversation with your husband about how he's feeling and what is going on for him. And be sure to let him know, through your words and actions, that although you're excited about having a baby, he's still most important in your life and you want to share the pregnancy experience with him.

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