ABSTRACT
The journey to parenthood begins long before the baby arrives, long before expectant parents ever set eyes on the new life they have created. There is no one psychological pathway to parenthood. Expectant couples need to plan and prepare, not to guarantee a result, but to open their minds to the enormity of the life changes they are about to experience so that they will be better equipped to cope with what may come their way. The pregnancy period is an opportunity to run through a psychological dress rehearsal of what life may be like after the baby is born. Pregnancy is also a good time for expectant parents to start to determine what kind of division of labor they would like to put in place for the postpartum period in order to take care of the burgeoning household and childcare responsibilities. Expectant and new parents should be aware that the realities of parenthood may not match their expectations.
