There are many articles written for first time mom however, it is not so for dads. Hence, I’m writing this. If you are reading this, thank you for being excited about being a dad and wanting to be an awesome one.
So what are dads supposed to do?
Before the Baby is Born
- Learn how to carry a baby. Always support the head and neck.
- Learn how to bath a baby. There are many ways, don’t worry, practice makes perfect.
- Learn how to burp a baby. There are so many ways to burp a baby: the shoulder technique, lap technique, turning technique are the three I know. You can get a person to demonstrate or watch how it is done via YouTube.
- Learn how to change diapers. Your baby needs milk approximately every 2 hours which means your baby will poop very frequently too. That would be about 8 to 10 times a day for the first few weeks. So, learn how to change diapers. Ask someone to show you how it is done or watch some YouTube videos online. You’ll be a pro after 2 days of practice.
After the baby is born;
Is your wife breastfeeding?
Yes, continue reading.
No, skip the breastfeeding part.
Not sure, read all.
IF your wife is breastfeeding, don’t feel missed out that you don’t get to feed your baby. Your baby is getting the best milk available. In addition, you don’t have to take turns to wake up middle of the night to prepare milk in the right proportion at the right temperature. With breast milk, it is always at the right temperature. Your baby will be feeding directly from the breast. Hence, the term “breastfeeding”. There will be no bottle washing as long as she is breastfeeding. So, what is there to do for the first few weeks? Well, her job is to feed the baby, as for you, your job is to feed your wife.
Your breastfeeding wife will get hungry and thirsty easily, so take care of her.
- Get her water. Make sure her water bottle is always full, keep her hydrated. Some like it hot, some like it cold, others like it warm. Ask her preference.
- Get her food. Make sure she eats when she’s supposed to, keep her energised. Sometimes she gets so tired that she forgets her meal time. Btw, do not comment on her food intake, her body is making food for a tiny human.
IF your wife is not breastfeeding, both of you can take turns to bottle-feed your baby especially the midnight feeds. Don’t be surprised that your baby drinks only 1oz when you prepare 2oz. Then when you prepare only 1oz, baby wants more. There will also be times where you thought baby wanted milk, prepared but the baby goes to sleep. It’s normal.
- Learn how to prepare milk. Always have hot water around.
- Learn how to bottle feed. Always have a handkerchief around.
WARNING: Things might not turn out to be how you visualised it. You might have sleepless nights and arguments, your patience might be stretched, coffee might be the only thing keeping you alive. Whatever it is, being a dad is not easy, but it is worth it.
When the Baby is Older
You will have the best job ever. Your job is to PLAY. You’ll realise that when your baby is hungry, the baby will look for mom for food; when the baby is full, the baby will look for you to play. Enjoy those precious moments with your baby, no matter whether it is your first time or not. Thank you for reading til the end. All the best!