When Your Husband Is Not Excited About a Pregnancy

Although scenes like this do get played out in some bedrooms across the country, in at least as many homes the scene is less than a scriptwriter's dream: for one reason or another, the partner is less than euphoric when presented with the news that there's a baby on the way.

There may be a lot of conflicting emotions going on inside his head. He may have developed a full-fledged case of Breadwinner Syndrome—a deathly fear that he won't be able to adequately provide for the little bambino the two of you have just managed to conceive. He may also be grappling with a question that has troubled generations of expectant fathers before him: Is it really okay to be having sex with someone's mother?

Your partner may express his feelings of uncertainty by second-guessing the pregnancy test result—a reaction that isn't likely to score very many points with you, of course.

In most case, guys who react like this are demonstrating healthy skepticism—not deliberately attempting to drive their partners crazy (although it may seem that way to you). Your partner may simply want to play it cool until he's sure the pregnancy test result can be trusted.

Of course, not all guys go into panic and/or denial mode when they're hit with the big news. Some are positively thrilled right from the start.