Creating a prenatal partnership

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6) Empathy pains
For Howard Trottenberg, a father of one and expecting number two any day, just trying to understand what his wife is going through has been a learning process. "Emotionally, I have tried to remember the difficulties my wife goes through. No matter what hurts for me pales in comparison; how tired I am is immaterial," he explains. "Physically, I have tried to do my part to lessen the burden on her. Things like making breakfast and dinner, doing the laundry, sweeping, helping to avoid her having to do bend and do strenuous work."

7) Gentle caress
A perineal massage, the gentle stretching of the muscles around the vaginal opening, can make a partner feel more connected with the impending birth. "It hasn't been shown to be very useful for preventing tears, but perineal massage does help women get used to the feeling of stretching," explains MacDonald. "And in women over 30, it reduces the incidence of episiotomy."
(Read more questions about sex during pregnancy.)

8) Class act
Being at all the important events and finding out information as mom does is another great way to feel included. "In the beginning, when my wife wasn't showing, it really hadn't hit me yet," says Neal McComb, expecting his first in July. "But now that the baby is growing and it is quite clear the delivery is imminent, I've been attending prenatal classes and reading some of my wife's pregnancy books." Trottenberg also took prenatal classes and went to all the doctor's appointments.

9) Hello baby!
Just because baby is inside mom doesn't mean the other parent can't begin the bonding process. Reading books, playing music and just talking to that growing tummy helps prepare your child for the new world and both parents' place in it. Want two-way communication? Do as Michelle Stapleton, a naturopathic doctor, did. "I brought my stethoscope home from work so that we could both listen to the baby's heart."

10) Little things make big differences
Richter finds that even the smallest details make her and her husband feel like they're participating in the pregnancy together. "Sometimes just little things like helping me off the couch, bringing me water, walking down the stairs in front of me (because I actually fell once and it really scared both of us), e-mailing me during the day to see how I'm doing are the things that mean the most."

Read more: 6 fun things to do with your new baby.