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So we're having a baby...
I've got a child on the way, the due date is June 3rd but it's likely to appear anytime between now and then, who knows it might actually be late much to the annoyance of my long-suffering girlfriend.
I know some other DIS'ers have kids, any amusing anecdotes or hints and tips you can give out to this dad to be? At the moment it doesn't really feel real, but I know the moment I set eyes on that kid will be a truly WTF moment.
Congrats
Congratulations!
Babies are brilliant
I don't have any children
but the only advice I can offer you is if you are a planning a water birth, don't watch series 7 episode 1 of Peep Show.
Lots of luck!
there's quite a few dads on here
i think everyone's experiences are different but i found the first six weeks really tough - it gets significantly better after that. (this is something that a few people have said).
Funny
I found the first three months or so really easy. All they do is sleep, wake up for a 20 minute feed and then go back to sleep.
It's when they start staying awake for longer periods of time and demanding your attention that it gets hard.
ours just seemed to spend all her waking hours crying for the first 6 weeks
after that, we start to get a smile from her and a bit more interaction.
she did have a bit of a difficult birth though - i think that could have been a contributory factor.
Congratulations! That is such exciting news
I spent most of the weekend watching 16 and Pregnant and cried every time a baby was born. It is so amazing that one second there is nothing and the next thing there's this little human. I'm a bit broody now.
Congratulations!
It's mostly great and even the bad bits (like sleeplessness and 4am poo explosions) aren't really all that bad as long as you stay positive.
The top of its skull isn't fused yet
So, that's the best place to go for if you want to suck out a baby's 'energy'.
Congratulations dude!
I'm really jealous. I am broody.
congratulations
first few weeks are just a mad blur of feeding, changing and wailing, a kind of 'what the hell have we done' feeling, total knackeredness....
still totally amazing though
best advice? it's your baby you know what's best, ignore people who say do this/that/you should do etcetc especially stuff you are not sure about
babies are little for such a tiny time, enjoy it :)
thanks for that, good advice
I also think that's what I'm really conscious of, the whole "what have we done" thing... my girlfriend hasn't been sleeping right for a couple of months now so I'm used to not sleeping through the night now, hopefully this has prepared me somewhat.
We've also got two cats, how will they cope?!
Do your cats sleep in bed with you?
If so, you should start putting them downstairs at night so they don't associate baby with disturbance.
Also, don't let the cats go near the cot/moses basket
They don't sleep in the bed but have a tendency to sleep at the bottom on the duvet. We got a Miyo Baby Hammock thing which is set up, apparently cats can't jump in it... not that ours have shown much interest in it, which is nice.
oh one further piece of advice:
you might have opinions about what you're going to do with things like breastfeeding, using a dummy, co-sleeping etc. be prepared to change your mind and don't be disappointed in yourself if you have to do so.
Sophie the Giraffe
cheers
Sophia la Giraffé?
I got my niece one of them a few weeks ago. She's an absolutely massive fan.
every baby seems to have one
I think it's part of the law. Mine doesn't even like her's that much but it's nice to know it's there if she needs it. I even saw one in Three Men and a Baby so it certainly deserves its classic status.
we've got one, nicely boxed up!
My girlfriend is French so it was inevitable she'd get given one...
actually, the one tip I'd give
is to learn how to swaddle/wrap your baby for sleeping. Swaddling really helps them fall asleep by preventing them from jerking themselves awake (and means a lot less stress for you).
I just did a quick search, though, and none of the sites on swaddling techniques use the super swaddling technique that I used. Most babies can bust out of the swaddle by the time they're 3 months, but often at that age they still tend to jerk themselves awake as they fall asleep. We got shown a much better method for wrapping that your average 3 month old couldn't break out of, and we had far fewer sleeping issues because of it.
baby straitjackets
that's how i'll make my millions. thanks for the inspiration.
Congratulations!
About 50% of my friends have kids now, and although i don't, I can probably condense some advice for you-
1. For the forst six months or so, try to get sleep whenever you can- even if only a catnap here and there. Seriously, do not underestimate how knackered you and your girlfriend are going to be.
2. Don't put too much pressure on yourself oor your relationship- accept from the outset that you and the missius and your relationship with each other will effectively be 'on hold' for probably the first six months, as you adjust to your new life.
3. Ask for- and graciously accept offer of- help. If you ahve good relatyionships with faily and friends, they'll be keen to help. let them.
4. Remember that millions of babies are successfully raised around the world every year, and that if you listen to your instincts and use common sense, you will be great parents.
thanks!
Point 4 is what I tell myself all the time, so many muppets out there give birth and raise kids perfectly well... and it's only in these ultra-modern times that there's books for every little thing and people are so uptight about every little thing. So much of it must be instinct and common sense, like you say :)
Exactly!
one other thing I forgot- if your girlfriend decides to breat-feed, whilst this is totally wonderful for the baby, it can sometimes mean that you as teh father feel a little excluded form the feeding/ skin-to-skin bonding of that process. It's worth- assuming she is able to express- seeing whether she can express the occasional feed so that you can give the little one a bottle. My friend did this when her husband was having some bonding issues and it really helped. Otherwise, just be really glad that you don't have milk ducts :D
Here's some advice
In my (limited) experience crying babies love to be held and jigged around whilst you perform some kind of freeform, be-bop, doo-wop, scat-jazz like a maniac.
also if they properly wail
turn the music louder and louder until they admit your speakers/amp/stereo setup WINS
Oh I meant making the music myself
My niece loves my improvised scatman-John style stuff
did you just find out? :D
nah, i'm kidding, well happy for you.
:D
I know, it only occurred to the other day that it might be worth starting a thread about this. When in doubt ask the Social board!
Well done for aiming your baby at my birthday
Classy work, appreciate it