It takes two ...

But there are times when it must seem as though it's all about the girl. Dads-to-be need to feel important too. And do you know the best way of achieving that? Get down and dirty fellahs!

Clean that bathroom until it sparkles and shines - it makes it so much nicer to be acquainted with during those weeks of morning sickness.

Pick up a book on pregnancy and child-birth - you don't have to read it but by feigning interest and studying the pictures and illustrations you might get a bit of an idea of what's going on in her body and you might start to feel some sympathy for the poor thing.

Keep things running smoothly at home. Yes, there might be an England international about to start on the TV but it only takes a moment to catch up on all the bills.

Be there for her: whether it's at home while she runs over possible names for the 18th time or at the ante-natal classes where you'll feel completely out of your comfort zone. (Your attendance will store up untold brownie points with the midwife)

And finally, take her out once in a while. Yours may be a relationship run on the most democratic of lines but as she grows increasingly large and hormonally unhinged there is nothing quite so normal and nice as a meal at the little trattoria down the road or a visit to the movies. Just remember to take a large box of tissues with you...