by Robert G. Rodriguez
The second trimester is a time when both husband and wife must remain open to the ecstatic, elastic, and the awesome emotions of each other. The differences in their perceptions of the experience during this time are part of their present and future union.
A woman may find it difficult to listen to her husband's fears about their financial future or his unaccountable uneasiness about her rapidly enlarging figure particularly when she's worried herself and seeks security and reassurance.
But now is the time to talk, share, talk, share, and talk and share. How else will either of you be able to find out what is really going on inside in the other person unless you spend time together, ask questions, and discuss your "minds and hearts?" How else will the two of you become sensitive about your unique involvement and physical experiences during pregnancy unless you let the other person know what they are?
This is a critical phase of pregnancy for moods, expressions, behavioral changes, and actions during pregnancy. For many couples, this is a vulnerable time when men become deeply reflective, accepting, rejecting, make constructive decisions, and display destructive behavior. If they start early in the pregnancy to care about each other's anxieties, fantasies, and joys now, they will have an easier time with day-to-day changes and may even delight in the wonders of pregnancy.
Sexual issues tend to become a focus during this middle trimester, when the visible changes begin. For many women, sexual excitement is at a new height. They become extremely passionate in a way that their husbands may not have encountered before. Hormones and desire reach a level that can be intimating to their partner. A passionate woman may be exciting, but she can also be very demanding -- sometimes more than a partner wants to cope with, especially if he is unhappy with her changing body and unusual moodiness. Some couples reach dizzying sexual heights during this phase of pregnancy; they convert a preoccupation with the growing baby and mother's changing form into rich physical intimacy. This is a hidden plus in the pregnancy which can shape a couple's sexuality far beyond the child's birth.
Robert Garrett Rodriguez holds doctorates in psychology and health care administration and masters' degrees in health risk management, public health, research, and business administration. His nationwide lectures captivate audiences with his fascinating and passionate attitude. He is a member of Mensa and has published articles in parenting magazines and online journals. Rodriguez is the author of "What's Your Pregnant Man Thinking? A Roadmap For Expectant and New Mothers," "It's a Matter of Choice," "Health Care America" and "Senior Mental Health Assessment" and "An Anxious Time for Men".
Copyright © Robert Garrett Rodriguez. Permission to republish granted to Pregnancy.org, LLC.
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