Becoming a dad is one of the most exhilarating feelings in this world. This phase brings with it a myriad of emotions inside you. Preparing to be a dad can be quite challenging, whether you waited to become one, or whether it happened all of a sudden in your lives. Regardless of your level of preparation, here is a disclaimer that we would like to tell straight away – you can never fully be prepared to be a dad!
However, you can tick off certain basic items in the “fatherhood checklist” to ensure that you aren’t caught completely unawares in this beautiful phase. So, for all you to-be fathers, here are some essential things that you need to familiarize yourselves with to make the fatherhood phase more exciting than you ever imagined.
Research is important
Regardless of how you plan to have your birth (natural birth, surrogacy, fertility treatments, etc.), it would help if you did a lot of research to know everything about the pregnancy phase. You can be a great dad, only if you are a great partner. So, read everything you can about pregnancy to know how you can help your partner when she is feeling sick during pregnancy. Please lend your support in whatever way you can to make the pregnancy easy for her. When you are an involved partner, being a dad comes naturally to you.
Parenting discussions are a must
It may still be a few more months for your baby to come into this world; however, it is never too late to start thinking like a parent. Have healthy parenting discussions with your partner about how you both are going to bring up the baby. This is a must, regardless of the relationship between you and your partner. Even if you have separated, you should maintain a healthy relationship with her, for the sake of your child.
Some topics that should form a mandatory part of your parenting discussions are breastfeeding routine, setting up the house for the baby, taking care of the daily routines of the baby, planning the expenses for childcare and more.
What kind of dad would you be?
The minute you know you will become a father, you should decide what kind of dad you are going to be to your child. Being a father is a huge responsibility, because you will become a role model for your child. So, you can plan for your fatherhood by giving up your vices (smoking, drinking, etc.). You can also connect with other new or to-be dads on social media groups to brainstorm ideas on how you can be a great dad.
Other important points you need to prepare for
- Be prepared for some compromises when it comes to physical intimacy with your partner.
- Your sleeping and eating schedules, and your overall lifestyle is going to go for a toss. It can be a lot of chaos, during the first month of your baby’s arrival. However, trust us when we say that you will learn the trade tricks soon and become an awesome dad.
- Be prepared to shoulder all parenting responsibilities.
- Take care of your physical and mental health, as your presence is very important for your baby.
- Be involved in every single step right from pregnancy to childbirth. After the birth of your child, you don’t have a choice, you should be a hands-on dad!
