6 months pregnant: A pregnancy guide for dads

There is a huge milestone this month as, by week 24 of the pregnancy, your baby will be viable – meaning they have a chance of survival outside the womb. That can be another moment when pregnancy suddenly becomes even more ‘real’ and you face up to the prospect of being a dad. This can be a scary time and you may feel anxious, stressed and overwhelmed. A lot of focus will rightly be on the mum-to-be but dads need to look after themselves too.

Mental health charity Mind says that there are many reasons why partners may suffer from mental health issues during pregnancy and after the birth. It can help to talk about your feelings to friends, colleagues, family or your partner and Mind also has a list of organisations that can helpopens in a new tab/window . You can also contact your GP for advice. It may seem like an impossible juggling act at times, but you should also try to take time for yourself while still looking after your partner’s needs.

Paternity leave and pay

There are also plenty of practical considerations to think about, which can help some dads-to-be by providing a focus – although others might just feel they add more pressure. If you haven’t already thought about it you might want to consider issues such as paternity and shared parental leave. If you want to take paternity leave you need to tell your employer at least 15 weeks before the due date. This generally means week 25 but it may be better to count back from your official due date to make sure you get the ‘qualifying week rate’. Find out more with our guide to paternity leave. You might also want to take shared parental leave, which will give you a more flexible approach to sharing work and childcare. Speaking of childcare, it tends to fill up fast so if you will be looking for professional childcare options like registered childminders or day nurseries, it won’t hurt to get the ball rolling as soon as possible.

If you have not already done so you might also want to start buying in baby things and thinking about things like future sleeping arrangements. If you’re lucky enough to have a room that can be made into a nursery you might want to start working on that. Babies, it turns out, need a whole lot of stuff and you might want to start getting some of the essentials now. Some items like prams might involve lots of research and even a test drive to find the right one.

6 months pregnant symptoms

If you haven’t felt the baby kick or move yet, the chances are you will this month. They will now have their own sleep and wakefulness pattern but unfortunately it’s unlikely to be the same as yours or your partner’s. That might mean she’s likely to be up in the middle of the night again as the baby seemingly practices their best dance moves or even suffers a case of the hiccups.

Your partner will generally have a pronounced baby bump now to accommodate your growing child. The skin can get stretched and become dry and itchy, but a bump massage using gentle movements and an equally gentle moisturiser can be a wonderful, intimate experience. It’s probably best to steer clear of essential oils though.

One NHS Trust says: “There are some medical conditions in pregnancy, labour and following the birth of your baby where it is not recommended to use essential oils. It is therefore important you receive the correct advice from an appropriately trained person prior to using essential oils.”

Sex in the third trimester

Your sex life might have taken several twists and turns already. Sex is still perfectly safe (unless a doctor or midwife has warned against it) and the baby is well out of your reach in the uterus and unaware of what you are doing. Your own and your partner’s libidos can still suffer for a variety of reasons however, from stress and anxiety to a wide range of pregnancy symptoms she might be going through. These can include passion-killers like piles as well as headaches, back ache, indigestion, nose bleeds, cramping and the myriad of major and minor symptoms she’s having to learn to live with. Take her lead and, if you’re up for it but she’s not, don’t put any additional pressure on her.

If things do line up though, sex can still be a wonderful experience for both of you, even if it takes a little trial and error to find positions that feel comfortable.

How your baby is developing at 6 months pregnant

By week 27, the end of the second trimester, your baby will be the length of a cucumber (hey, we couldn’t think of a fruit that was 36.6cm) and will weigh around 875g.



Their brain tissue is developing rapidly and some experts believe they may even be dreaming now. They might also be sucking a finger or thumb.

Now on to the final stretch…