From the beginning to the end of pregnancy, many women experience a rollercoaster of emotions, physical changes and pregnancy-related symptoms. It's no wonder that as a partner of a pregnant woman, you find it difficult to know how to be supportive - so we want to give you five invaluable tips for the pregnancy journey.

1. ask what your partner needs

If the pregnant woman feels very well, she may not need any special support, but if she feels worse, she may expect extra support from you. As moods are highly individual and can change throughout the pregnancy, it is best to ask your partner what they need from you. That way, you can talk together about a suitable approach based on your situation.

2. Take responsibility for the home

It is common for pregnant women to experience various problems such as vaginal discharge and fatigue, and the last part of the pregnancy is often difficult and stressful in many ways. This means that you as a partner can make a huge contribution by taking responsibility for the household, cooking, cleaning and fixing. All this housework often requires an enormous amount of energy from the pregnant woman, so by taking on these tasks you are basically a superhero.

3. Small gestures of appreciation

There are certainly little things in everyday life that you can do to make the pregnant woman feel cared for. It could be giving a massage, setting up a cozy dinner, buying her favorite snacks, doing the dishes when you see she's tired, or something as small as letting her choose a movie for Friday night. Small acts of love often have the biggest impact and are exactly what many women appreciate the most.

4. Take your mood with a pinch of salt

Pregnancy comes with an unprecedented surge of hormones, which partners often witness first-hand. You may not understand the logic of certain things the pregnant woman says or does, and to be honest, she probably doesn't all the time either. As a partner, you need to be clever and recognize when she is reacting and when hormones are playing tricks. This is not an easy task, but you have to try. And remember! It is the pregnant woman who bears the brunt of these hormonal and physical changes.

5. Show commitment!

During pregnancy, your partner is probably going about her life as usual. This can make you feel distanced from everything that's going on in her body and it can be hard to grasp the fact that there's a baby growing in her belly. By showing commitment to what the woman is going through, you are likely to feel much more involved in the pregnancy journey, while making the mother-to-be happy through your involvement.

Bonus tip: Several of our users have told us that they read or listen to the weekly information together every week during pregnancy. It makes for a cozy time together!

Here you can read about practical advice for parental leave.