Cool article in slate today about how fatherhood affects the body and brain. With impending father’s day and slightly less impending, but more monumental, child #2 on the way for Emma and me, this makes interesting reading.
Basically they’re saying that fathers experience several hormonal and neuronal changes as a result of being with their pregnant mate, and also when the baby is born (for example testosterone levels drop significantly for the first three weeks after the baby is born). I wonder if those levels are different for men who are actually present at the birth versus those who aren’t.
The only concern I had was the bit about weight gain in expectant dads. This has been on my mind lately – I lost some weight in India and for a couple of weeks after because of some bug I picked up, but since then I have regained and probably added a little extra. With my recent birthday I thought it was time to start exercising more, so at lunchtime today I went to my first ever yoga class, and this afternoon I’m going to sign up for the gym in my office building.
I assume that “monumental” is a being used to mean momentous. I’m certainly hoping that the fact we’re expecting isn’t leading to me being described as monument-like…
It was supposed to mean “momentous”. Here’s the definition of monumental from my dictionary:
1. Relating or belonging to or serving as a monument
2. Of outstanding significance
3. Imposing in size or bulk or solidity
Of the event, I was meaning #2 obviously.
I hadn’t thought of this as describing Emma too, but if that’s the case then I would be meaning “she’s beautiful enough to be considered as a monument to expectant motherhood”.
Also, update: I did sign up for the gym. Now I just need to go.
Good save dude, good save…
Reminds me of an old joke “The problem with putting women on a pedestal is that you rarely knock them off”