Dear Dad, Feeling freaked about what lies ahead? You’re not on your own.
You’ve been the innocent by-stander for the past nine months, watching your partner morph, but now it’s time to dig deep and take hold of your inner-DAD!
My tip? Don’t get your balls busted for bad prep. Meet your bub’s arrival with your marriage (and man-hood) in-tact. Play these weeks well and you’ll come out looking like a hero.
1. Get car capsule in* – early!
Your first and most practical gift to your pregnant partner. This tells her you’re planning for the arrival of your baby too and that you take your family’s safety seriously. Do it without her asking and she’ll love that you’re ahead of the game. What are you waiting for? Do it.
Do it and do it early too. No good faffing around after bub’s born, she’ll need you present. Plus, it’s kinda fun too, looking back at your expectant-capsule – nawww.
2. Get that house squeaky clean
The love of your life is well aware that you’ve been wearing the same clothes all week, eating pizza (in between your visits to her in a hospital) and have been celebrating your new dad-role every night with coldies. However, she does not want to see evidence of it when she brings that precious, pure bundle home for the first time!
Your home should smell like a fresh garden, primped to perfection, dishes away, floors scrubbed and clothes washed. If you can’t manage to get that house quite literally sterilised from top to toe, hire someone who can! Flowers in a vase too. She’ll love you. You’re welcome.
3. Buy her new undies
If you’ve got the guts, buy her some freshies. Her old ones will be no longer up to the task. Department store staff will help you choose well. If you buy too slinky it won’t has the effect you’re hoping for. Choose some nice comfy ones – she’ll love you ‘to the moon and..’ be ‘back’ to sexy quicker too. Boom!
4. Her boobs are OFF LIMITS
It’s tough work not to ogle at her impressive breasts but they’ll be more off-limits than they’ve ever been. They are purely milk factories for now.
Be considerate of that hormonal cocktail pulsing through your partner’s body before you make a comment like: ‘wow! check out the rack on that’! She won’t appreciate it now (and btw, she probably never will).
5. Optimise HER sleep
However physically tired or beat-up you might feel right now, think rationally about what a complaint will sound like to your partner. You are going to be SOOO tired, but if life with a newborn is a deck of cards, your partner will trump you, always!
That remarkable woman of yours will be feeding two to three hourly around the clock for the coming weeks. Not only feeding, but settling baby and peeing (yes! it continues).
This is where you’re worth your weight in gold. Do ANYTHING that makes her life easier. Be the hands-on dad of her dreams. When she’s feeding baby, make sure she has a fresh glass of water next to her and her feeding pillow and ‘spew cloth’ on-hand.
When she’s finished feeding, you take the baby, change her nappy, wrap her and settle her back to sleep.
6. Maximise your baby bonding
Take baby for a wander in the pram, or ‘wear’ her in a soft carrier. You’ll be your partner’s best support and will be forming the first imperative and precious bonds with your new babe.
Pop your top off and snuggle down with the baby. Talk to her and sing over her. She’ll recognize your voice and become familiar with your scent. Even if you stink she’ll think you’re swweeet!
These formative days are an opportunity to set the tone for all the years to come. The choices you make today will quite literally be the bedrock on which your family builds its future.
You’ll have more respect for your woman than you have ever. Enjoy watching her morph through these early weeks of motherhood. Cherish her, love-on your new bundle and remember to look after you too.
You’re well prepped-up now, and you’re going to be so great at this! You’re just what they need.
On behalf of your partner… hugs from the ether…
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