My Wife Is Pregnant. Date Night Is Still on the Calendar.

Mariana is pregnant, and we’ve been forcing these date nights.

Let me explain “forcing” before somebody takes that the wrong way.

Nobody’s dragging anybody out the door. We’re both enjoying ourselves. We’ve just decided we’re going to keep making plans, getting dressed, and finding things to do together instead of automatically saying, “Let’s just stay home.”

And honestly? It’s been fucking fun.

We’re experiencing this whole new version of our life together. My wife is pregnant, the belly is coming along for the evening, and we’re still out here making memories.

I love it.

I know how easily a routine disappears

As a personal trainer, I’ve seen how a break can become something much longer than somebody intended.

A person stops working out because life gets complicated. They mean to come back. But their schedule fills up, the habit fades, and eventually getting started again feels like a much bigger task.

That possibility sticks with me.

I have a strong fear that once you stop doing something, you might just stop doing it.

That’s my fear, anyway. Taking a break doesn’t mean you’ve failed or that you can’t come back. But I know myself well enough to understand that “we’ll get back to it” can become a very comfortable sentence.

And I don’t want to get too comfortable saying it about us.

I still want to date my wife

We’re preparing to become parents. There’s a lot to think about, and our lives are already changing.

But I still want to take Mariana out.

I want to see her get dressed up. I want to get dressed up for her. I want us to have dinner, laugh at something ridiculous, and spend time together outside the house.

I don’t want every conversation to become a schedule, a responsibility, or something we need to get done.

Those things matter. So does enjoying the person I’m doing all of this with.

We’re building a family, and I want us to keep making room for the relationship that started it.

Yes, the belly is part of the experience

There’s something funny and beautiful about being out with your pregnant wife.

Sometimes I look over at Mariana, then look at that belly, and think, “Damn. We really have a baby coming.”

We’ll be out having our evening, and there’s this very visible reminder that life is about to change.

It makes me laugh. It makes the whole thing feel real.

I’m enjoying seeing her in this chapter. We don’t have to wait until after the pregnancy to have a good time together. There’s a lot to enjoy right here, even while we’re figuring things out.

These are dates I’m going to remember.

Consistency doesn’t mean doing everything the same way

This is where it connects to my fitness regimen.

I believe in showing up consistently. I also believe the routine has to fit the life you’re actually living.

Our workouts have changed during pregnancy. Our mornings have changed. Of course our dates can change, too.

An earlier dinner counts. A shorter outing counts. Getting dressed and going somewhere close to home counts.

And if Mariana needs rest, we adjust. Keeping date night alive isn’t a reason to ignore how she feels.

The commitment is to make time for each other. We can be flexible about what that looks like.

That’s the same thinking I bring to personal training: find a version you can keep showing up for, then adjust when life asks you to.

Don’t make every plan a production

If you’re expecting a baby and missing time together, my advice is to make a plan that feels good to both of you.

Pick somewhere you actually want to go. Talk about energy, comfort, and timing. Give yourselves permission to call it an early night.

You don’t need a phenomenal reservation every weekend.

Sometimes the best part is simply looking across the table and remembering, “I really like hanging out with you.”

Get dressed if that makes you feel good. Take the picture. Have the conversation. Laugh at how different life looks already.

Give yourselves something to enjoy now, instead of putting all the fun on the other side of this season.

We’re practicing making room for us

I know having a baby will bring changes I can’t fully understand yet. I’m not going to sit here and promise we’ll be out every weekend with a newborn.

But right now, we’re practicing being intentional.

We’re learning to adjust our plans while keeping each other in them.

That matters to me as a husband. It matters to me as somebody who spends his days helping people build habits they want to keep.

And it helps that we’re having a damn good time.

Mariana is pregnant. Life is changing. And I’m still taking my wife on dates.

—Brandon RaSean, The Gym Philly