Why am I drinking more alcohol with a baby on the way?

Hi, this is Dan from Dad Psych.

Every Wednesday, we deliver an informative newsletter backed by psychological insights, designed for soon-to-be and new dads.

Here’s what’s on the menu today:

• 🍺 Drinking more? Here’s probably why

• 🤔 What’s the one thing you’d like me to do more?

• 🧏‍♂️ We want to hear from you!

Drinking more? Here’s probably why 🍺

When your partner’s pregnant, it’s easy to find yourself in full freak-out mode. Becoming a dad can hit you hard, sometimes pushing you to uncharacteristic behaviors. Many dads-to-be might reach for a drink (or 57) during this time.

But why?

A 2022 study found that men often rely on their partners for emotional support, but once their ladies are pregnant, they avoid unloading their stresses on them. This leads a lot of guys to other coping mechanisms, which can sometimes be excessive drinking or drug taking

Or, as many of us know it in the UK, on the sesh m8.

And, look, we don’t need to tell you how bad that can be for everyone involved.

Have the odd drink if that helps, but if it's starting to create issues in your life, it's time to come off the sesh and find another way to emotionally cope.

Top tip: Get yourself a gym membership. You don’t even need to exercise hard (although that would help with coping) but at least you’ve got a safe space to go to for a few hours every week 😉

What’s the one thing you’d like me to do more?🤔

Whilst my partner was pregnant, I struggled to know what the hell to do with her.

You know, there’s this pregnant human in front of me and i’m her main reliance.

Don’t get me wrong, I wanted to do everything for her, but where the hell do you start when even she doesn’t know what she wants?

So, I just asked her one day; “What’s the one thing you want me to do more of, but you’re worried to ask me because im busy woriking or you think it’s a ‘big ask’?”

She said, “I want you to cook more for me.”

Bingo. Never seen such a happy face when I made her a basic stew that she likes. Scored some great man points, too. Once this became the norm, i just rinsed and repeated.

It’s a fantastic way to not put her on the spot with her wants and needs, as well as giving you some insight into how you can truly help her out.

We want to hear from you! 🧏‍♂️

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