Dad-to-be needs baby/infant Advice

[dragonzim]

Couple of things ive picked up over the last 2 years with my twins....
Luvs diapers...half the price of pampers and work just as well
As was stated earlier, make your own baby food when she starts eating solid food. Saves a ton of money and you know exactly what's in it. Go to a kitchen supply store and get a food mill. It will grind fruits and veggies a lot finer than a food processor. Tons of recipes online for different foods.
Tyr to get baby on a regular sleeping and eating schedule as early as possible. Yes, there will be some long nights but if you can establish a schedule early it will definitely help your and your wife's sanity
If your wife is breast feeding and therefore is the one that has to get up overnight to feed baby, get up with her sometimes. She will appreciate the company and help keep her from feeling like nothing more than a 24 hour buffet
Offer to take care of the baby for a few hours on a weekend, even if it's just between feedings. Let your wife get out of the house for a while. Even if it's justfor a walk or a run to the grocery store, she will appreciate it.
Babys are surprisingly resilient. Chances are good that you aren't going to hurt her by picking her up and holding her. Don't feel that you can't hold her because you feel uncoordinated. You'll get than hang of it very fast!
Most important... Have fun and enjoy yourself! I was dead set against having kids for the longest time but realized that if I wanted to actually marry my wife I didn't have much choice. Now, I can't imagine not having them. After 23 months with my twins, I can't imagine how easy having just one at a time would have been!

 

[beth]

Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/389001/dad-to-be-needs-baby-infant-advice#post_3434419
I know I'll mess up along the way,... no doubts about it.
Oh, and Bubble - thank you especially for those kind words about my demeanor. It seems like every time I turn around I'm called rude, crass and arrogant here and there. That really makes me feel good. Thank you for that. Oh, and you're like the third person ever to call me a man, lol. That in itself is an awesome compliment. Thank you for that.
You are a valued member of this community. Besides, a guy called Snake can't be all bad.

As far as child rearing, you will be surprised how instinctural it will become. Everything else will take a back seat to your child(ren).

 

[siptang]

Snake - Please do yourself a favor and check this product.
http://www.amazon.com/Angelcare-Movement-Sound-Monitor-Deluxe/dp/B002ZB82CU/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1320859527&sr=8-9
I tell this to all newly parents now.

 

[ironeagle2006]

This is coming from a Stay at home father top 3 Kids 7 soon to be 8 4 and 2 yr olds each. I have days were the 3 of them are the best behaved in the world that I would not be afarid to meet any of the people on the Campiagn trail right now. Then there are the days I want to turn them loose on the Idiots in my State capital and go are you sure cutting After School Programs was a Great Idea. LOL.
The some advice for you snake. Dr Brown Bottles BUY THEM USE THEM or at 8 weeks your going to be finding a Wal-Mart Supercenter to get them so you cna get your Sanity back when your Daughter gets COLIC and you need them then to stop it. Luvs Diapers what do you think my 2 year old has w2orn since he4 was a baby. Babyfood I made my own also. Lastly make sure you take time out for yourselves my wife and I almost forgot that part of ourselves after Richard wasborn and it took us 6 months to get back to wherre we where. Also NEVER LET your Daughter become a Diva my mother has almost made my Daughter into one and I am still getting her straightened out. Taken me 2 years but I should have her flying right in about 2 months more.

 

[snakeblitz33]

Thank you all for the words of advice and wisdom.
Anything else?

 

[btldreef]

Quote:
Originally Posted by SnakeBlitz33 http:///t/389001/dad-to-be-needs-baby-infant-advice/20#post_3434606
Thank you all for the words of advice and wisdom.
Anything else?
R
U
N
!

 

[snakeblitz33]

Ha ha, funny, funny.
I don't think that half the stuff we put on our baby registry we are actually going to use. lol. My wife says it's "essential" but I highly doubt it. Other then that, it's been pretty smooth sailing.

 

[sweatervest13]

One word... Baby-moon!!! Get out for a nice little weekend get away with the wife. Even if it is just going to stay at a friend/relatives house for the weekend.
You both will have your schedule completely change within a three day period while in the hospital delivering the baby. You go in with free time and come out with no time to do much (at first, it gets better of course). The first week or two is your time to shine. You are the care taker of the mama and you help with the baby too. You need to keep the house work up while the wife gets used to being a mama. Cook, clean, laundry... It will go a long way if you just do all that you can to help.
Breastfeeding is a personal choice, but I can say for me and my wife it is the only way to go. Formula costs $$ and a lot of it, BF is free and it helps mama get back to fitting in those pre-pregnancy jeans a lot easier (don't flame me folks, that is a quote from my wife). It also helps boost their immune system, and from what my wife says it is the best mom/baby bonding out there. My first born daughter (will be 4 in Feb) has been sick maybe three times in her life and my 10 month old has had one time she was stuffy, that's it. Make your own baby food of course, most people already covered that. Kids like routines, so give them routines.
You will come across something that they do or something that they don't do and you will feel lost. For example my first daughter loved bath time for the first 10 months. Then for some reason she screamed her head off saying, "no, no, no bath", every time I tried to give her a bath (I did baths every night so mama could unwind and have 15-20 minutes to just chill). This went on for a week or two, so we just kept trying every night and she eventually enjoyed it again. Just keep trying!!! They will get the hang of it.
Best of luck to you and the wife!! Remember, baby's are really hard to break. Pay attention to how the nurses in the delivery room man handle the new born. They can take a licking and keep ticking!!!
Oh ya one more. Never shake a baby!!! Seems like a no brainer but you need to make sure you tell anyone who could watch the baby for even 30 seconds. The hospital told us that 95% of cases of a baby getting shaken are from a caretaker other then the parents who were not told about that. A lot of times it is a grandparent or aunt/uncle.