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Mr. Sensitive

Showing Your Pregnant Wife You Care

By Katherine Bontrager

What about those final months when aches and pains make your wife prefer the comforts of home? If she's feeling up to it, Dr. Haltzman suggests bringing the party to her. "Your wife may be feeling more and more housebound by her impending due date," he says. "If she's not able to go out, talk to your local high school music department and see if any of the student bands are willing to come over and play some chamber music or a jazz set while you enjoy a candlelight dinner. She may freak out at the unexpected company in the house, but she'll enjoy the specialness of the moment. And if you can't afford a band, buy a new CD, set up the boom box in the kitchen and escort her to your table – properly decorated for the occasion."

But above all else, it's key to keep the lines of communication open and thriving. Both your lives are changing, and you'll need one another for reassurance that despite the changes, the relationship remains strong.

"Talk to your wife and let her know how dazzling she is," says Dr. Haltzman. "You may look at her with awe, and may actually be turned on by the changes in her body. But if you don't tell her, she won't know. Helping your wife out during her pregnancy requires more than doing things that she'll appreciate. It includes talking to her, encouraging her, letting her know that despite all the changes in her body, hormones and energy levels, she's still the No. 1 priority in your life."

Want to see more?

• Keep Mom-to-be Smiling!: 10 Creative Ways to Pamper Your Pregnant Wife
• A Note to Fathers: It's You She Wants
• Is Your Marriage Baby Proof?
• Talk about it!