For most men, preparing to become a first-time or subsequent dad is the most challenging moment. If you are at that stage where your partner needs you most, we can all agree it can be overwhelming. It is the high time that she needs your attention and the best you can do is to get prepared before the due date comes knocking.
When the baby comes, the two of you will have your hands full. To help you evade the last-minute rash and avoid being overwhelmed, here is a checklist you can follow to get prepared.
- The Birth
The top intimidating bit about being a dad-to-be is thinking about the delivery of your baby. To help the process to go smoothly, the following are some of the steps you can take including:
- Attending childbirth classes and learn the basics.
- Talking to your spouse about how to manage pain during delivery.
- Learning massage options and tricks that can help your spouse during birth.
- Taking a tour of the medical facility where you desire for your child to be delivered.
- Mapping the best routes to the facility to avoid last-minute inconveniences especially if labor pains come calling when you least expect them to.
- Pre-programming important contact numbers into your phone.
- Arranging for childcare for other children, if you have them when another one arrives.
- Making a list of family members and friends to notify first when the baby comes.
- Home and Car
When the delivery day is fast approaching, your partner may be going low on energy. To help out, you can take the change by getting the house and car ready beforehand. You can also help by:
- Setting up the nursery.
- Baby-proofing the house.
- Installing a baby’s car seat.
- Looking into childcare or housekeeping options in advance.
- Cooking some meals and stocking up the refrigerator.
- Work and Finances
There is nothing that drives people nuts like working on finances that last minute. This is especially challenging when it is about babies and delivery. To ensure you are on the safe side, you should try to set your mind at ease and put your financial ducks in a row. A point to remember is that it is never too early to plan for the future.
To work through finances and work, you can start by:
- Looking into paternity leave.
- Lining up family health insurance coverage.
- Considering financial planners’ advice.
- Starting special and educational funds if you can.
- Baby Care and Bonding
When the baby comes, it will first meet and interact with the two of you. Before it comes, it would be the best time for you to cultivate your bond. To make it work way ahead of time, you can cultivate the bond by:
- Attending parenting classes with your partner.
- Learning hot to hold and feed the baby.
- Asking about well-baby visits.
- Learning how to change diapers when your partner needs to rest.
- Reading child development materials for the years to come.
- Picking up childhood books to read to the baby.
- Spending Extra Time with Your Partner
Among the best things you can do for your partner is being there for them throughout the pregnancy period. This helps you strengthen your bond as well as making her feel the much-needed sense of belonging. Since everything starts feeling different from day one of the pregnancy, it becomes happier for her if you spend more time together.
When the baby comes, it is paramount to remember that everything changes and starts being all about the baby and the mother. This means there are less mommy and daddy times for the first three months. Therefore, it becomes important to work on the mommy-daddy time before the baby comes and as often as you two can.
- Hang Out with Other Dads
The other idea a dad-to-be can explore towards preparing for the coming of their baby is by hanging out with other dads. This is especially important for first-time dads especially because they do not have an idea of what to expect. It also becomes scary for them since they have no idea of what to do when the baby comes.
Spending some time out with other dads helps you get over the anxiety and fear you might be developing. It also gives you a chance to listen to their experiences and how they handled them. The fact that you go through it knowing other men survived it makes you go through the entire phase with readiness.
Another point to note is that every baby is special in a special way. This means that the experiences you hear from other dads may not be similar. Listening to most of them, therefore, gives you a chance to get ready for any experience with your bond.
- Start Helping More in the House
For most men, helping out in the house is usually a problem. Most of them are also working away which means much of the housework is left to their wives. When the baby comes, this will have to change, and you will have to get used to helping out with some chores.
As you help in the house, your partner may start getting calmer and happier. Since most pregnancies are known to come with mood swings, the happier you make her, the better it will be. Also, as you help her around, it will give you a good chance of preparing to help when the baby finally comes.
- Pack A Daddy Hospital Bag
For most moms-to-be, their baby bags are usually ready months before their due dates. This can also be done for dads-to-be long before the delivery date.
The idea behind this is overcoming the challenge of getting the baby when you least expect it. Naturally, we all know that a baby comes when it wants to and not when we expect them. Ss a dad-to-be, therefore, you should be ready for anything regardless of having the due date as indicated by the doctor.
When labor pains begin, it can take up to 7 hours for the baby to arrive. This means you should at least pack all the items that you love and take them with you to the hospital where your wife is delivering at. Some of the items may include:
- A cell phone and charger: – it’s common knowledge why you should have a fully charged phone or at least one and its charger. The phone will come in handy for emergency cases, photo time, as well as for entertainment.
- A magazine of your favorite hobbies: – such a magazine will keep you company around the clock as you wait for the big news.
- A blanket and pillow: – most hospitals you visit will be a little bit chilly, especially if you have to spend the night there. For this reason, it is important that you pack a large blanket and pillow to use while at the hospital.
- Snacks: – carrying snacks is an obvious bit if you have to keep watch of your partner at the hospital. This is highly recommendable since hospitals will not cater to your meals.
- A tablet or laptop: – if you do not have a magazine or book to read through, you can have a laptop or tablet with you. If you have bandwidth or there is free hospital Wi-Fi, you might want to catch up on emails, read, or follow up on your projects using the gadgets.
Conclusion
All said and done it is time to wait for the baby. However, if there is something else you can do for your partner, this would be the right time to try it out. Also, make sure to talk to your partner or her doctor about what else you can do to show your support and ensure to support a healthy pregnancy. Once you have everything in order, you will be right on board and just in time for the new bundle of joy.
