Maybe, the carrier of the baby will have no hassles or ill-effects during pregnancy and people around them will be understanding and helpful.

Then again, it may be a normal pregnancy with ups and downs, as well as (hopefully) a few ins and outs (still) - perhaps the title of this page would be more accurate as 'Enduring the Pregnancy'..

Pregnancy is both an amazing and (gradually) encumbersome experience.

For the carrier of the growing child, it is undoubtedly a progressively more intrusive event, that culminates in having difficulty seeing ones own toes and a seemingly endless quest to find at least one comfortable position when resting.

For those close to the carrier of the child, there are increasingly more things you can do to assist, although complete compitulation to doing everything is not amoung them.

Reading about the developmental progress of the new human is an excellent idea, as are regular medical (or similar) checkups.

Blokes be aware - that personal playground now has a number of other people who have the right to look and and touch it. Remember that for most women, they have been taugh to or believe that they reserve their private parts for restricted viewing - but being pregnant means they have to all of a sudden be comfortable with taking the pants off and spreading the legs for virtual strangers to view and prod that very private part.

This 'during pregnancy' time is an opportune time for blokes especially to start learning a bit more about babies and children in general - taking an interest (even fleetingly) in another people's babies or children is a fairly easy start.

Many blokes fall into the trap that they aren't interested in babies and are looking forward to the day when the child/ren is/are older so they can interact with them.

Successful parent-child relationships start very early and involves much 'hang-about time'.

'Quality time' is an urban myth - just because you have some time to give to your child/ren, doesn't mean they have to instantly provide you with some time in return, especially if you aren't around much.

Plenty of blokes with older child/ren complain they are treated little more than a wallet - which is not so surprising an outcome, when that is about all they have basically given as a parent and therefore trained their child/ren to expect from them.

All up, enjoy the relatively free time while the bubs is still 'inside', for free time is something that can and does quickly disappear once the bubs is born.