If a woman becomes pregnant, in most cases she knows something is up early-on. She feels different.  She suspects. And when she asks you to pick up a pregnancy test from the store on your way home from work, this is where the fun really begins for the expecting dad — be prepared!

It sounds like a simple request: drive to the store, pick up the stick, drive home and let your wife pee on it. But in reality it can be both difficult and overwhelming. Once you get to the store — look out — there are over 10-15 different brands each with their own fun way of telling you, “yes” you are pregnant. So which one do you buy? (And by the way they are very expensive, around $20 a box, so the decision-making process gets hampered a bit by this fact.) There is the blue line, the red line, the yes/no — one actually has the word “pregnant” on it — the three-line test, and so on and so forth. The first time I went down to the store, I came home with over $100 dollars worth of tests because I was so overwhelmed and I didn’t know which one to buy – and I’m a pharmacist; I should know better.

In my case, I purchased the pregnancy tests out of excitement before my wife even asked me to. I brought them all home and left them on the bathroom counter. When my wife came home and saw the tests in the bathroom she immediately wanted to know why I had purchased the tests (in other words: do I think she looks fat?). Of course that wasn’t the case, in fact I had purchased the tests because I was so excited. I just reminded her that we have been trying, and I thought she might want to read about the different tests, or maybe even try one out!

Well the tests I brought home sat on the bathroom counter — exactly where I put them — for two days. Then one night she told me she’s not pregnant. She said she tried two different sticks and they both said not pregnant. I reminded her that the test works the best in the morning with the first pee, and encouraged her to try again; a hormone known as “human chorionic gonadotropin or HCG” has its highest concentration in the morning.

Most of the tests come with two sticks per box anyways, so that you can test twice, because no one believes the first test, for some reason or other. The next day, we opened all of the boxes and tried one from each box. Sometimes the results can seem unclear, so, as the soon-to-be expectant daddy, I suggest helping by reading through the directions thoroughly and helping to decipher the results. In our case, the results were inconclusive and uncertain, so, again we decided we would try again the following morning with another first pee.

After our “practice day” the morning prior, we had perfected a system. When the morning came, we were both prepared and ready; she went in the bathroom, and I stood outside with the box. She said, “stick,” I handed it to her, she peed, then handed it out, and asked for the second one; I was ready. We had two sticks with the first pee of the morning, and were thrilled to find out the results were overwhelmingly positive!

The very next day, she called the doctor and said she thinks she may be pregnant; they sadly said, it is too soon, and that she needed to call back in two weeks.

Have you ever wondered when you would experience the “longest two weeks” of your life? These were definitely mine!

How did you choose a pregnancy test?

Though Duchess Kate is only in the “very early stages” of her very royal pregnancy, we’re already going gaga over what Prince William will be like as a doting dad. From reading bedtime stories together to royal piggy-backs, we’ve outlined the top six reasons Prince William will be the most incredible royal dad ever!

1. He already plans to be a “hands-on” dad. If this didn’t make us swoon for Prince Will any harder, it looks like he already plans to be very involved in his little one’s life. Just like his mom, its been said the Duke of Cambridge wants to be present in every aspect of his new baby’s life and pals claim he won’t have a team of nannies to take care of the baby’s needs.

2. He’s ready to trade in his RAF duties. When that little bundle makes his/her way into this world, the Duke will probably make a permanent move to be closer to home and his family. Any dad that’s willing to change up his work routine to be closer to his child gets an A+ in our book!

3. We heard he wants to change “nappies” (diapers). “Nappies” is English for diapers and ugh. A husband that’s pumped to change your babies diapers is actually the most incredible news ever. Yay, Will!

4. He’s responsible. In the face of his rambunctious, rowdy little brother, Will has always struck us as a family man and his marriage to Kate Middleton confirmed our speculation. He’s always the first to mention how incredible and wonderful his wife is and with the arrival of a wee one, will be expecting more candid quotes from the Duke. We can’t wait to see pictures of these two running around Buckingham Palace together!

5. He wants to lead a normal life. Us commoners find this type of quality comes pretty natural in our partners, but to a high-profile guy like Prince William, maintaining a down-to-earth lifestyle is nearly impossible. So when we heard that William wanted to keep things normal – he and Kate say they don’t want a fleet of nannies – we fell in love with the charming prince even more!

6. His mom was pretty great. Now, we don’t know for sure all the in’s and out’s of William’s parenting skills, but judging solely by his upbringing, we’re willing to bet big money that they’re great. His mom, the late Princess Diana, taught her boys the value of kindness, honesty and charity. These are three traits we just know his little one will be blessed with!

Do you have any parenting predictions? Think Will will make a great dad?

Plus, more from The Bump:

Top 10 Things Every New Dad Should Know

Kate Middleton vs. Princess Diana: How Their Pregnancies Compare

Top 10 New Dad Fears

“There is an art to being a daddy, just as there is to being a husband, sometimes they are the same, and other times they must be treated completely separate.”

When you find out your wife is pregnant it’s time to kick it into high gear and start learning the balance between being the daddy and the husband; I call it “trutina,” which is Latin for balance.

I want to lay it all out for all of you expectant daddies: What do you need to know, and how can you keep the balance during the process of pregnancy and beyond?

Although the first day you discover your wife is pregnant, she may not look any different to you, I can guarantee you her hormones are already starting to run on overdrive, and internally, her body is changing at an alarming pace, so be patient as she will likely feel very different, and as her husband it’s your duty to experience all of these new things right by her side.

Make sure to remind yourself at all times to be engaged and to listen; do not be pre-occupied: put down the cell phone, the iPod, the newspaper, and realize that even though you feel the same, your wife will be undergoing dramatic changes. She will experience simultaneous emotions of fear, happiness, sadness, and security. Do not be surprised if she starts talking about savings accounts, life insurance, living wills, etc. Your job, as husband and expectant daddy, is to just jump right in, and help get the ball rolling on each of these tasks. I suggest making lists and figuring out how you can accomplish something off the list every single day. Nine months may seem like a long time now, but trust me when I say it’ll go by in a blink of the eye.

If this is your first child, then you need to understand the “fear of the unknown” can sometimes be overwhelming. There are so many logistics to take into consideration, such as: Where will the baby sleep? Is the house clean enough? Do we have enough money? Should we move? What about college?  These thoughts are all good and healthy, and it is your job as the husband, to help step in and put the thoughts in order and begin addressing them with your wife to the best of your ability. Every concern is important and deserves thoughtful consideration from both you and your wife.

Remember the old saying, “A happy wife is a happy life”? Well during the next nine months, this saying is exponential. If she has a concern, show her you care immediately by addressing that concern however possible.

If I were to give husbands and expectant daddies everywhere a single piece of advice it would be to take everything one day at a time. There are sure to be difficult days as well as wonderful days. It takes time to transition from husband to daddy, and you’re going to have to learn the balance there in-between. Enjoy all of the special and unique experiences that come with pregnancy, and  with a bit of hard work everything is sure to fall into place — just be confident.

What advice would you give to an expectant dad?

I am pregnant.

My already large breasts have grown to the size of two cantaloupes. My nipples look like they have met a tanning bed. I haven’t seen my vagina in weeks, and I have bright blue veins running the length of my body.

Remind me of my beauty. Help me embrace my current shape. Rub my growing belly.

I am pregnant.

The smell of most food repulses me.  The intense taste of spices and flavor additives like garlic, oregano, and onion cause me to gag.

Accept my unspoken apology when I do not eat the meal you have cooked. I want to, but I can’t. It will go down and come up. The nicest gesture you can extend is to ask what else I would like.

I am pregnant.

My moods fluctuate often and in an instant. Christmas music makes me cry. Q-tips in the toilet cause me to unravel in rage.

Don’t judge my emotions and reactions to things. Don’t ask me “What’s your problem?” Understand the sane part of who I am is hidden under my rising hormone levels.

I am pregnant.

My belly is round and quite large. My lungs are compressed by the inside human that continues to grow. At night I toss and turn. During the day, typical tasks like mopping a floor or scrubbing a tub take extra time.

Rub my back, do the dishes, or place an extra blanket on my side of the bed. Tell me it is okay to just relax… and mean it. Ask me what you can do to help and do what I ask. The smallest, meaningful gestures make me love you more and allow me to accept the limitations of my current body.

I am pregnant.

One day I will give birth. I will labor in pain and demonstrate strength of steel. I will stay focused and will search deep to successfully deliver our child safely to this world. Afterwards I will suffer silently. I will be sore. I will physically hurt. I will need rest with no time to spare for myself.

Let me sleep. Take care of me. Take care of our children. Temporarily carry the burden so I can recover.  Appease my unreasonable requests. Be my superman. Our family will need you.

I am pregnant.

What do you wish you could tell your partner about being pregnant?

It seems, to me, that many women who’ve given birth can tell you the story of their labor. They can tell you how long they labored, when they knew when to go to the hospital, what their nurse’s name was, when they got medication, how long they pushed for, and, of course, what time their baby was born. Me? I have a bad memory. There are times that I can’t remember details from just a few minutes ago. (I make heavy use of spreadsheets and to-do lists in my life!)

I wanted to be able to remember my birth story, but I didn’t trust my ability to remember. Especially since so many things would be happening during the process! I wanted to know the big milestones of course — how long I pushed and what time my son was born. But I also wanted to know the small things — what time my water broke, when I got pain meds, etc. I knew that other women in my life would want those details. Some women just love birth stories!

I also knew that I wanted my husband to be involved wherever possible. Since I was being induced, there wasn’t any laboring at home that he could participate in. He wouldn’t need to drive a deep breathing, arm gripping wife to the hospital. In fact, I knew that when we checked into the hospital on that Wednesday morning, I’d walk in with my bag in one hand and my pillow in the other. I suspected that my check in process would be almost like checking into a hotel. “Jayme, 1 room, 2-3 nights please.” Once settled into our room, I knew that there’d likely be hours of just sitting around waiting for the induction meds to do their thing.

So I gave my husband a job. I asked him to keep a “labor log” for me. Supplies needed: a piece of paper, a pen and a clock. Whenever something happened, he would write it down. He didn’t write down little things like ‘Jayme turned over in bed’, but he wrote down the time and what meds they gave me, how many centimeters I was dilated at different stages, when they broke my water, when I got the epidural, and what my contractions were like throughout the day.

I’m so glad that I did this and definitely plan on doing so again with any future births. Not only did it help my husband be an active participant, but I didn’t have to remember the small details. All I had to say was “Honey, can you write this down?” any time I thought “Oh, I want to remember that.” It allowed me to focus on the job at hand and while it’s just a scrap piece of paper, it makes for a fun keepsake!

Thanks to my husband, I can actually tell my son’s birth story!

Did you keep track of your labor or save any mementos from the birth?

One of the most important decisions anyone can make in their lives is the decision to have a baby. I distinctly remember being woken up in the middle of the night and seeing Mrs. Daddy Nickell sitting up in bed staring at the wall. She wanted to know, right then and there, “Do I? Can I? Would I? Will I?” have more babies.

I could see it in her eyes – it was a classic case of “fight or flight.”

Now, in our case, it was understandable, as I was already a daddy to four children from a previous marriage, and had a 15-year vasectomy  and lived my last ten years as a comfortable, divorced bachelor.

I immediately reached over, rubbed her shoulders, and told her “Absolutely. I could not think of anything more important or more fulfilling than to have more children and to raise them together as a family with you.” I told her I’d already done research on the Internet and had found a physician in Los Angeles who specialized in the latest technique of “laser welding” for vasectomy reversals.

Now all I could see in her eyes was “I love you…”

The conversation about having a baby is an important one, and in many cases, an unavoidable one. Be ready: 99 percent of married couples make the decision to have babies, so if you’re freshly married without children, just be prepared to have an open and honest conversation about your future and raising children with your partner. I won’t lie to you — deciding to have a child will change your life forever, but in a very positive way. Raising a family takes an army, and you’ll likely need to lean on other parents, neighbors, close friends, and family members. It isn’t easy, and you may have to give up your daily five-mile run in the morning or drinking a few beers on Saturday afternoon with the guys, but I can tell you it’s worth every moment.

When you decide tell your wife, yes you’re ready to have a baby, be prepared to accept the full responsibility to help raise, hold, love, educate, and work together as a team for the next twenty plus years — let’s face it, our parenting duties aren’t finished the day our youngest kid turns eighteen!

There’s an old saying, “Children are like flowers, the parents are there to plant the seed, offer protection, warmth, nourishment, and to then let the flower grow and bloom.” So when you’re ready to agree to have a baby, be prepared to do just that. I can’t begin to tell you how incredible it is to be able watch your child grow and flourish.

So when you agree to have a baby, enjoy every moment, as every stage brings about different questions and emotions, and every stage flies by more quickly than you think.

Did you, or your partner have to “agree” to have a baby? What was the biggest deciding factor?

Everyone knows the bond between a mother and her baby is intense, a bond of pure love and necessity. Many times new papas can feel left out of the bonding experience, creating tension in the relationship and leading to feelings of inadequacy. You can’t make breast milk on demand, but there are other ways you can be involved with your bundle of joy. Papa glow extends Beyond dirty diapers and late night feedings when mama is catching up on zzz.

Here are 7 ways you can feel more involved and increase your paternal satisfaction — and glow like mama does.

Skin to skin -  The baby is happiest when connecting skin-to-skin with mama or papa. His temperature, heart, and breathing rates will be more consistent, and his blood sugar more stable. It also allows the baby to get familiar with your scent and your heartbeat becomes a soothing beat for the little one. Spend time bonding, lounge around in your boxers and let the baby rest on your chest while you’re watching TV (just be sure it’s not the playoffs — you don’t want to startle the baby!).

Play games - Make silly faces, play peek-a-boo, sing songs, for your baby. Set aside regular time for baby, whether it’s after work or in the morning. Appoint a special time that’s just for you and the little one, so as the baby grows, this special bonding time becomes part of the daily routine.

Glow time - Glow time is an important concept that I introduce through my book, Mama Glow: A Hip Guide to Your Fabulous Abundant Pregnancy. It’s all about taking personal time to lavish yourself and shine! While mama is taking some alone time to shine and do what she loves, you can have glow time with your baby. This could be a bath time ritual where you shut off phones and dim the lights and enjoy a nice soak with your baby, or baby massage using a nice jojoba oil or calendula baby cream to rub your little one with soothing hands- relaxing the baby and preparing for bedtime so you and mama can have some glow time of your own. Or hit the streets a nice walk outside or a mild hike with the baby in a carrier, babies love the stimulation of being outside in the comfort of your arms.

Take charge - Mama may like things done a certain way and may even school you on how to handle certain tasks when it comes to baby like how to warm a bottle, change a diaper, comfort your baby, etc. But you will develop your own way of doing these things. Rather than let mama step in and “correct you” and show you repeatedly how to do it her way, just keep practicing and you will learn your own technique and shortcuts for newborn care. Communicating that you are fine with handling the baby and taking the initiative without having to be asked is always great too. It gives you more one-on-one time with the baby too.

Slay your checklists - Mama will have a list of things that need to get done and feel overwhelmed at the thought of trying to get through the list. Ask her to delegate some of those tasks to you so you can complete them. Men like to “fix” things and get things done, be productive, etc. When you are able to satisfy her needs and help reduce her stress load by checking off some of her to-do-list she will be thrilled- and when mama is happy everyone is happy. This also satisfies your desire to feel needed, believe me, she needs and wants you around, although she may be madly in love with a new man who’s 7 pounds 11 ounces and 20 inches long.

Keep it movin’ - Babies are used to movement because of moms’ hips moving when they were still in the womb. They feel soothed by movement and grow to have fun with it as well. Whether you’re doing baby bench presses with your infant, or daddy dance party getting your baby to giggle while you’re moving him around is great. Movement also helps increase the baby’s muscle tone, and trains the baby’s proprioceptors — his sense of self in relation to space.

Find papa posse - Find other cool papas who share a similar philosophy, have kids the same age or just provide a listening ear. You may just need to bond with other men who are going through what you are. Having a sense of community and knowing that you are not alone is key. Being a new father can be an isolating experience but certainly doesn’t have to be.

Whether you are a new papa or a veteran in the baby game, it’s always good to learn some new tips to sharpen your skills, build your confidence, and boost your bond with your baby.

You’ve heard the terms: sympathy weight, fatherhood fifteen, paternity pounds, dad dough, child chunk (okay, I made that last one up). Whatever you call it, no cute little turn of phrase, play on words or awesome alliteration makes it more acceptable that most new dads pack on weight after they have kids. And you don’t need a psych degree to figure out why this happens.

Between the cravings you end up sharing during pregnancy (for my better half, it was Italian food, Swedish fish and ice cream), the stress, the lack of sleep and the lack of time to exercise after baby arrives, it’s no wonder some guys develop man boobs faster than their wives develop nursing boobs. The question is: As a dad, what are you going to do to stop this from happening to you? (And if you’re a woman reading this, what are you going to do to help your husband?)

For me, this wasn’t an easy question. As someone who has made a career out of writing for magazines like Men’s Fitness and Men’s Health, I’d always taken my workout time for granted. I lifted weights regularly, played basketball a few times a week, swam on a Master’s team, and more. I was probably naive to think that I’d be able to maintain even half of my activities after the arrival of my first daughter, but when it turned out that during the first month or so of being a dad, I was maintaining exactly zero of them, it was a shock to my system. Couple that with the fact that I had the sleeping hours of a first-year med student and I was eating fast food like I was back in college. I was in trouble.

I hit this point about three weeks after the birth of my daughter and that’s when I decided I needed to come up with a plan to somehow squeeze exercise into my new dad life. I needed to get my blood moving so I didn’t feel tired and weak all the time. In order to do this and have any success with it, my plan had to meet these criteria:

1)      It had to fit into my existing schedule.

2)      No equipment would be required.

3)      I would have to be able to get other things done simultaneously.

4)      I’d have to burn calories or build muscle and not burn any time.

5)      The exercises had to be simple and effective.

After examining my schedule, taking stock of my daily activities and poring over a bunch of the fitness articles (ones I’d written!), I developed a plan that worked for me, and that I think every guy can follow to stay in shape. It’s not P90X. It’s not the Insanity workout. It won’t rebuild your body. It is simply a common-sense fitness plan to help you bridge the gap between your “I’m in great shape and about to have a kid” days and your “my kid sleeps all night and I sort of have my life back” days. Ideally, this will help you avoid the “I haven’t worked out or slept in three months, I eat like crap and I’ve gained 15 pounds” days.

The exercises and workouts I came up with are practical and they work. For instance, when you burp your baby, don’t just sit on the couch, do some Burp Lunges across your family room. They’re slow, great for your lower body and core, and they might even help induce the belch you’ve been praying for the last 10 minutes. Or next time you have your child in your Baby Bjorn, do a set of 10-15 body squats as soon as you strap her in. Making these kinds of things habits will turn everyday activities into calorie burners and muscle builders.

I wrote about these ideas and literally dozens more (along with lots of advice) in a book called The Dadvantage: Stay in Shape on No Sleep, with No Time and No Equipment. The book debuted this week in the Top 10 of Amazon’s ‘Fatherhood’ section and it has been climbing every day. No hard sell here. Just thought it might help some other dads out there. If you want to give it a shot (it’s short, meant to be read in one or two sittings) check it out.

Good luck!