Partner pregnant? Here are some helpful steps for you.

  1. You are vitally important to the health and success of your child. Your positive involvement in your child’s life - beginning before he or she is even born - will help ensure he or she does not live in poverty, that he or she gets a good education, stays away from crime and prison, doesn’t do drugs, doesn’t fall prey to sex traffickers, and doesn’t commit suicide. Any man can be a father. Your child needs a dad! Your importance cannot be overstated.

  2. Be involved as much as you can. 1. Come to all appointments with your partner, if possible, including the initial pregnancy test/ultrasound appointment at ZoeCare and all subsequent prenatal visits. Ask questions, learn as much as you can. Be there. Coming in to ZoeCare? We have men on staff who can talk to you and help answer any questions you have.

  3. Support your partner. Let her know how important she is to you. Being pregnant can be a very stressful thing (and all those screaming hormones don’t help the matter) and she needs someone who can walk through all the tough stuff with her, talk about all the options, the future, and how to make it work. That kind of support is important to her.

  4. The basics. 1. Does she have insurance? This is top priority. Do you need a better paying job. Do you have access to, or can you afford, baby supplies such as a crib, car seat, etc.? ZoeCare can help walk you through all of these considerations and more when you come in, including providing free diapers for six months. In the meantime, check out some local help available to you.

  5. Get the support you need. 1. We guys tend to go at things alone much of the time, but this is one time when that’s not such a great idea. Enlist support from friends, family and others who can walk with you through this. Consider joining ZoeCare’s beingDAD program which matches experienced fathers with new dads like you to help you walk through what you need to know regarding Pregnancy, Fatherhood and Relationship.