5 Tips For Becoming A New Dad

The birth of your first child will be one of the biggest moments of your life – but also one of the most daunting and humbling. To give you a little extra confidence as your enter dad life, here are some of our top tips for the first few months of fatherhood.

Get The Basics Down Pat.

While you are still at the hospital or in the first few days at home with your new baby, get involved with nappy changing, bathing, feeding, and swaddling. Don’t be afraid to ask nurses or your partner questions – you’ll want to become a master at these tasks as soon as possible. Not only will you be able to do your part in the daily care of your newborn, but this also allows for one-on-one time with your newborn right off the bat, which is important for establishing and nurturing the father-baby bond.

Don’t Ask, Just Do.

Taking initiative with your newborn and doing the things you know need to be done will take a huge weight off your partner. Mothers sometimes get caught up in the idea that they need to do everything for their baby on their own to be a good mum, so she may not ask for help, but she does need it.

If you notice a nappy needs to be changed, don’t ask her if you should change it, just go ahead and do it. If your baby wakes in the night crying, don’t ask her if you should go check on them, just go in and comfort them. You are both learning as you go, so trust your instincts and act when it comes to caring for your baby.

Start Building Your Connection Early.

While your baby has a biological connection to your partner from the beginning, you’ll need to do just a bit of work to establish that connection. Don’t underestimate the power of talking to and cuddling with your baby from the get go to develop this connection.

It may seem silly at first to talk to your baby throughout the day when they can’t understand you, but communication is necessary for bonding and development. Also don’t hesitate to cuddle your baby as much as possible in these early days – they need to be held and comforted by both mum and dad.

Help Out Around The House.

When your partner is on baby time while feeding or just bonding, you can still do things around the house that will directly benefit both your baby and partner. During these times, take the reigns on meal planning, sorting finances, doing the dishes, folding laundry, and other tasks.

Getting these chores done around the house will also take pressure off your partner and keep a bit of order to your home. Even though they may not be directly baby related, getting chores done is also a great way to be an equal partner when it comes to baby care.

Take Care Of Your Partner & Yourself.

Communication between you and your partner should be more open than ever in the first months of parenting. Talk about your struggles and needs regularly and make a plan to be each other’s support system.

But also don’t forget to take time just for yourself. Like mother’s need to take some self-care moments, so should fathers. Make time for the things you used to love before parenting and always remember that there’s no such thing as a perfect dad.

Tags: Parent's Corner