Bringing partners to prenatal visits

[Anonymous]

You will get an ultrasound with the GW midwives at your first appt. it was a big deal with #1 (and #2) to see the baby for the first time, even though it doesn't look like a baby yet) and hear the heartbeat, and a moment I was glad to share with DH. He got more excited about things after that since it started to become more real.

[Anonymous]

For the first ultrasound, the NT and the gender ultrasound yes. Not for any of the other appointments.

[Anonymous]

Don't forget that there are many ways for DH to be involved, and this is only one of them. Definitely have him come to at least a couple appointments so that he can get more comfortable with this stuff (assuming he'll be in the delivery room), but he doesn't have to be there for all of them to be an involved and loving father and husband.

[Anonymous]

Mine never came with me. I was a little disappointed at first. But that's his personality. If I had pushed a bit, he would have come along for support. But I didn't really want him to come just for me.

If it's really important to you that he come, let him know. He might get a kick out of it.

[Anonymous]

I'm 20 weeks and DH has gone to all the u/s ones. I don't feel the need to have him at the regular checkups.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do most of you bring your partner along to your prenatal visits? My first is in two weeks and he's fairly ambivalent about it. I'm scheduled for an ultrasound and I'll be 7 weeks so I suppose we might hear the heartbeat, which could be cool for him. I'm with the GW midwives if that makes a difference.

No, never. Except the 20-week ultrasound. Why would your husband want to sit around the waiting room twiddling his thumbs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My husband came to all of them. We'll see how that works for number 2!

I know a lot of husbands who could have attended, but didn't. I always think less of them.

What?? Are you serious? I have no interest in my husband attending my doctor's appointments. I think less of *you* for dragging him along to them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No, because "we" weren't pregnant, I was. He also doesn't accompany me to the dentist, hairdresser, or podiatrist. Independent, modern, professional women should not need to be accompanied to OB appointments by significant other.

+100. Seriously, these responses are so unrepresentative of what I actually see in the OB's office, which is approximately one (out of place looking) guy in a room full of women!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband came to all of them. We'll see how that works for number 2!

I know a lot of husbands who could have attended, but didn't. I always think less of them.

What?? Are you serious? I have no interest in my husband attending my doctor's appointments. I think less of *you* for dragging him along to them.

Wow. So you see nothing different between prenatal appointments and having your teeth cleaned.

[Anonymous]

I think that having your husband come to the "big" prenatal appointments is good, if you can swing it. I was glad my husband was there when they were taking our family history, and he was really excited about the ultrasounds. Plus, if the anatomy scan showed any problems, I would have been glad of his support.

Prenatal appointments are a little different from my regular medical appointments, I think. It is his baby, too, after all, and being able to see how it's growing is pretty amazing. Plus, I knew I would be counting on his support during labor, so it made sense for him to be involved along the way. If he hadn't been able to come because of work or whatever, it wouldn't have been a big deal, but it was nice that he was able to (my doctor's office was a block away from his office). And he certainly was not the only man in the waiting room--we routinely saw at least one and sometimes two or three other guys with their wives.

But the routine BP/HB/urine sample appointments? Why bother?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband came to all of them. We'll see how that works for number 2!

I know a lot of husbands who could have attended, but didn't. I always think less of them.

What?? Are you serious? I have no interest in my husband attending my doctor's appointments. I think less of *you* for dragging him along to them.

Wow. So you see nothing different between prenatal appointments and having your teeth cleaned.

Not the PP you quoted, but come on. Original PP's comment - the bolded part - is pretty obnoxious. You think less of me because I can manage to have my blood pressure checked without my husband present?

[Anonymous]

The thing I really don't get is when I see couples together in the waiting room, but when the woman's name is called...only she goes back to see the doctor. Why have your husband come at all if you're just making him sit in the waiting room during the appointment?

[Anonymous]

Mine goes to ultrasound appointments. That's pretty much it. To be honest, I'd feel so silly dragging my husband in for every weigh-in/blood pressure/routine checkup. What on earth does he need to be there for? Didn't have him come to those even with #1.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband came to all of them. We'll see how that works for number 2!

I know a lot of husbands who could have attended, but didn't. I always think less of them.

What?? Are you serious? I have no interest in my husband attending my doctor's appointments. I think less of *you* for dragging him along to them.

Wow. So you see nothing different between prenatal appointments and having your teeth cleaned.

Not the PP you quoted, but come on. Original PP's comment - the bolded part - is pretty obnoxious. You think less of me because I can manage to have my blood pressure checked without my husband present?

To be fair, she said she thinks less of the men who don't go, not the women who go alone.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My husband came to all of them. We'll see how that works for number 2!

I know a lot of husbands who could have attended, but didn't. I always think less of them.

What?? Are you serious? I have no interest in my husband attending my doctor's appointments. I think less of *you* for dragging him along to them.

Wow. So you see nothing different between prenatal appointments and having your teeth cleaned.

Not the PP you quoted, but come on. Original PP's comment - the bolded part - is pretty obnoxious. You think less of me because I can manage to have my blood pressure checked without my husband present?

To be fair, she said she thinks less of the men who don't go, not the women who go alone.

Again, this feels like someone trying to justify their own choices by crapping on others'. Why on earth should my family's choices affect a complete stranger?
OP- do what works for your family!