Someone have advice on becoming a father?

Question

I'm just about to become a father. Due to a lot of work and total renovation of my appartment, I have had no time to sit down and really think through what it will take for being a good dad during the first couple of months.

I was wondering if some fathers out there had some advice about things you did well or less well during your children's first months.

My son is scheduled to arrive in about 1 week so please don't hesitate to share your experiences right away!

Answer 1

Becoming a father is wonderful, so CONGRATULATIONS!

I think the best thing you can do is be there, and actively participate in everything involving your child. From diapers to starting a college fund.

Answer 2

Ok, I'm a mom, but since we are the other half of the equation, I'm going to weigh in. Your wife is going to feel like she got run over by a bus. Her body has been occupied by an alien for months, she won't be sleeping, she will have breasts that feel like waterballoons. This is the time to walk softly and saintly.

Gazing adoringly at the miracle that is your wife and child while you are doing laundry or dishes would be wonderful. Taking the baby so she can have a shower and a nap every day would be helpful. Telling her that you think baby barf in her hair is cute will earn you lots of good husband points. Cooking or making sure she eats well can help her recover from the birth much quicker. As soon as you can, take the baby out on outings to give your wife some alone time.

The most important thing is putting the time in with your wife and child. Quality time is a load of codswallop. You can read Sports Illustrated to your baby and they will love watching your face and hearing the sound of your voice. Being there is the most important thing.

Answer 3

I would advise you to take baby for a little while each day so that mom can rest/sleep/have a nice bubble bath.
And when you do have the baby for a while, don't do what my baby's dad did and follow mom around constantly saying 'where's mommy gone?' Seriously, i never got to have five minutes to myself!
Do as much cooking as you can for her. Bring her plenty of water/juice to drink, and if mom can express milk, take a couple of the feeds so that she can have a decent rest.
Also there are the normal things, like change nappies, do the shopping and housework.

Another thing, be prepared to get yelled at. The huge upsurge of hormones flowing through you baby's mom will leave her not quite sure what to do with herself, so the main thing is to talk to her and see what you can do, and not get cross with her because this will leave her feeling worse. Do your best not to provoke arguments, and have the phrases "I'm Sorry" and "I love you" ready to use.
Be patient and loving, and ask what you can do for her.

I don't know if I helped, but I have one last thing to add- you're already a good father for seeking advice and I hope that this kind of initiative lasts well into the future.
Good luck to you and your partner.

Answer 4

I have only been a father for six months so I am not an expert but I am willing to try to help.

I believe it was Winston Churchill who said the best thing a father can do for his child is to love his/her mother.

When I was about to become a father a friend gave me some great advice: Be prepared for two things, to give love and to receive love.

I confided to a friend that I felt clueless about raising a baby and being a father. I joked that babies should come with an instruction manual like a car. He said not to worry, your instruction manual is in your heart.

It is very hard for me to put into words the great happiness and love that a baby has brought to my wife and I. The amount of love in our lives has multiplied since having a baby.

Congratulations! Love every minute!

Answer 5

At this time, you should concentrate more on being a good husband than a good father. Your wife is tired and recovering from childbirth, so cut her some slack and do more than your share of the chores. Be understanding of her moods and come to grips with the fact that your life for the next 16 years will be focused on your child.

Other than that, work hard, bring home the bacon, love your child and create a good safe home.

Answer 6

I'm not a father, but my best advice is to help out the baby's mother as much as possible. When babies first come, they wake up every few hours to eat and that can really exhaust someone if no one is helping them. Learn as much as you can about babies, from books or take a class. There are many techniques that can help soothe a baby and get them to sleep sooner. Good luck, the fact that you're worrying about being a good dad means you'll probably do a great job!

Answer 7

Just do as much as you can to support Mom and Baby. When the baby wakes up, make the effort to get up first and change him/her before mom gets up. If she breast feeds, that helps since she has to sit there and feed the baby, or get up to mix the formula first. If you are working and shes staying home, when you get home, give mom a break and let her go take a nap or a shower or eat. Just do what you can in the beginning and before you know it you will have a nice routine. Remember, work as a team!

Answer 8

Becoming a new parent is wonderful, yet exhausting. My advice to you would be get involved and help as much as possible. Even if you have to scrub toilets, you wife will appreciate everything you do. I could not have done this without my husband. Understand that there will be times of frustration but also know this will pass. Enjoy and love your baby and wife everyday as much as possible. Good luck and Enjoy!!!!!

Answer 9

Embrace the spirit of "willingness" to do whatever the mother of your child needs help with.......either her needs or babies needs. Thats what I would've found most helpful with both my kids. They are 15 and 9.
Many kudos to you for asking what you can do during these first few months. What a great guy!

Answer 10

perhaps i'm able to help right here; to start with, the certainty which you're traumatic approximately it in any respect shows which you have already have been given the capacity to be a great dad. a reliable chum of mine, in spite of the certainty that a teenager, has twin infants by utilising his female chum. of course human beings look at this as fairly unfavorable and such, no longer that pronouncing teenager being pregnant is right and all, whether it is not unavoidably all unfavorable. they are very loving mothers and fathers and nevertheless mutually and in love. My chum has been suffering for PTSD for years now via actual, psychological and sexual abuse as a baby. via this he grow to be additionally very very traumatic while his female chum have been given pregnant. the thought she grow to be pregnant settled rather rapidly, it grow to be the thought he grow to be going to be a father that took slightly longer to settle in. the terror grew slightly greater because of the fact the being pregnant went on yet all human beings ought to tell that his heart grow to be interior the acceptable place while his female chum had a touch untimely delivery mutually as he grow to be in a foreign country, and additionally think of his marvel while he shows out he had twins (the toddlers have been back to back curiously) however the 2d he even touched one among them each and all the father-instincts kicked in and each and all the terror exceedingly lots went away. It sounds stupid, even he admits that, yet it is the way it befell. Now I see pictures of him and the youngsters and that i think of he must be between the main suitable dads interior the international because of the fact he's so variety and worrying and his PTSD has in simple terms made him greater able to loving them. They have been the clarification that...properly the PTSD did no longer in simple terms disappear of course because of the fact it would not try this, yet once you have something greater to stay for often, once you have something so small remember on you the way infants do, it style of killed his nightmares slightly.