Fathertime: Making Time For Your Children

By Daniel Petre
A company executive type talks about creating time for kids.

When Men Are pregnant: Needs and Concerns of Expectant Fathers

 By Jerrold Shapiro
Shapiro talks about the conflicting emotional issues and demands of expectant fathers.
Purchase From Amazon.com  

The Expectant Father - Facts And Tips For Dad's To Be

By Armin A Brott & Jennifer Ash
An info-packed guide to all the emotional, financial and physical changes the father-to-be may experience during the course of his partner’s pregnancy. Reassures, commiserates and informs with New Yorker style cartoons and advice from the experts.
Purchase from Amazon.com

Also By Armin A. Brott
The New Father: A Dad's Guide To The First Year.
The New Father: A Dad's Guide To The Toddler Years.

She's Having A Baby And I'm Having A Nervous Breakdown

By James Douglas Barron
Entertaining but not essential.
Purchase from Amazon.com

So Your Going To Be A Dad

By Peter Downey
Hilarious book with practical hints.
Purchase from Amazon.com

What To Expect When Your Wife Is Expanding

By Thomas Hill
Funny rather than necessary information.
Purchase from Amazon.com

Every Guy's Guide As To What To Expect When She's Expecting

By William Grant Eppler & Ruth Davis Barr
Non-clinical pregnancy information written from a guy’s point of view. Humourous from fertilisation to post birth.
Purchase from Amazon.com

Fatherhood Reclaimed

By Adrienne Burgess
Diaries, research & interviews of fathers from all social groups.

Related posts:

1. Anticipating Fatherhood

So you think you may know a bit about pregnancy. Test yourself, or one of your mates, out on this short quiz. If you get them all right then we reckon you’re probably close to the perfect birthing partner. Once you’ve completed the quiz, refer to our answer sheet  to check your answers.

Question 1

What is recommended for pregnant women to help prevent birth defects in a baby?

1. To take a test
2. Take folic acid and a B vitamin
3. Avoid Jacuzzis
4. There is nothing that can be done

Question 2

What mineral is most likely lacking if a pregnant woman experiences high blood-pressure?

1. Calcium
2. Iron
3. Copper

Question 3

Which herbal tea is said to promote fertility, strengthen a woman’s reproductive system and make labour faster and easier?

1. Chammomile tea
2. Raspberry Leaf tea
3. Peppermint Tea
4. Earl Grey Tea

Question 4

A pregnant woman should never diet.

1. True
2. False

Question 5

What is colostrum?

1. Another name for a bizarre craving women sometimes have during pregnancy
2. The first milk excreted from breasts
3. The term given to wind pains suffered during pregnancy
4. The substance covering the baby when it’s born

Question 6

What is Braxton Hicks?

1. The main maternity hospital in Melbourne
2. The name of the surgeon who invented forceps
3. The term given to practice labour contractions
4. The position women find most comfortable for sleeping during pregnancy.

Question 7

What does Couvades mean?

1. Constipation during pregnancy
2. A hormonal influx
3. A rare depression
4. A psychosomatic condition where men take on symptoms of pregnancy

Question 8

The embryo officially becomes a foetus in week 10.

1. True
2. False

Question 9

What is linea nigra?

1. An Italian birthing ritual
2. Irregular white patches that form on the face
3. A dark line which divides the stomach in half
4. Pregnancy cellulite

Question 10

What is the lochia?

1. The discharge of blood, mucus and tissue from the uterus following childbirth
2. A special medical device for back support
3. A Latin word for childbirth
4. A lower back pain

Related posts:

1. Confirming Pregnancy

Marcus, aged 35, shares some of his experiences and transition leading up to becoming a father.

“In the beginning I found it difficult to adjust to some of the changes I saw in my partner. But I quickly learnt to accept it. For example, I just let her mood swings wash over me. I knew they weren’t personal. Early on I learnt that she liked to be comforted: having massages and for me to stroke her while I gave her a hug. I also made sure that I read some books about pregnancy, attended some classes and asked questions of our midwife.

The strange thing I felt was that people were always asking my partner how she felt and never inquired as to how I was going. I felt ignored and was annoyed that my feelings were always being overlooked. I guess I had a decrease in confidence as I felt the increase pressure to support my partner because she seemed more fragile.

I also found myself getting quite protective over our privacy. People would expect to be told everything in detail and we both really didn’t want to be recounting lots of personal details and experiences to everyone!

During the pregnancy I experienced a few sympathetic symptoms such as getting up and going to the bathroom three or four times a night. I never used to before.

Other issues we’ve had to deal with during the pregnancy included when to tell people. Like many couples we decided to wait until the three month mark although I leaked it out to my parents in the eighth week. We also had to agree on the right term. ‘Up the duff’ and ‘bun in the oven’ didn’t go down too well.

Financial pressure would be the biggest on going issue although I think we have it under control. A slight problem has been my partner feeling that not working is having a negative affect on her ‘mental’ wellbeing.”

Related posts:

1. Julia’s Story
2. Daniel’s Story
3. Real Life Birth Story: Attempted VBAC

Discovery

Possibly the biggest pregnancy moment of all is finding out that your partner is pregnant…and that you are about to become a father!

First Flutters

You may first feel your baby move anywhere between 16 and 22 weeks. Known in pregnancy terms as “quickening” this is your first communication with your baby and is concrete evidence that your feisty little sperm do actually work.

Vocal Chords

Your baby can hear your voice from around 25 weeks onwards.
Womb communication is one way your child can get to know you. Don’t forget it can also hear your taste in music.

First Screen Appearance

Your baby’s first time on the screen is the first antenatal ultrasound appointment usually around 12 weeks. Don’t miss it. It may be a little blurry but a skilled operator will be able to point out the head, body, perhaps the limbs and the heartbeat. Most doctors support a routine scan at 8-12 weeks to date a pregnancy and another at 18-22 weeks to check the baby’s organs and limbs.

The Shape of Things

You will witness a most extraordinary transformation of your partner’s body shape as the fullness and sensuality of pregnancy flourishes. Take time to enjoy the intimate moments and appreciate your partner as you have never seen her before.

Waters Breaking

This means the amniotic sac in which the baby is cushioned is ruptured. A clear or slightly-blood stained fluid may trickle or gush out. When the waters break, even if there is no sign of labour, call your doctor or midwife as the baby’s protective sac is no longer in tact and risk of infection increases. It is not uncommon for women to lose their waters without realising it. Sometimes the waters don’t break until towards the end of the first stage of labour.

Meeting Your Newborn

The moment you will never forget.
“F**k Cat, it’s a baby!” were Gerard’s first words when he met his daughter Grace. Richard cried for 40 minutes before he could compose himself enough to call friends and family. Daniel said it was a most surreal feeling.

NOT-SO-GREAT PREGNANCY MOMENTS

Tender Breasts

For some women full, throbbing, tender breasts can be excruciatingly painful during pregnancy and may even be a no-go area. Furthermore, many women experience leaking breasts from as early as mid-pregnancy. This can be spontaneous and at times highly sensitive. Some women leak breastmilk at the sound of another person’s baby crying.

Eccentricities

Pregnant women can be uncharacteristically eccentric. This bizarre behaviour is only temporary. As well as being vague, forgetful and at times irrational, know that this is a condition common to pregnancy so don’t take it personally.

Sex

Unpredictability is possibly the only constancy when it comes to sex during pregnancy. Fluctuating energy levels and hormones will heavily influence supply and demand.

Blood and Other Things

If you plan to be in the labour room, be prepared to see a tremendous amount of blood. If your partner has a Caesarean birth, brace yourself for some sights you may never have seen before. Brendan described the experience of watching his partner’s Caesarean birth as “Like watching rabbits being skinned”. On cutting the cord, he says it was like “chopping through a hunk of rubber”.

Involuntary Bodily Functions During Labour

As unpleasant as it may sound, most women defecate or urinate while giving birth. It used to be common practice to shave a woman’s genital area and carry out an enema in preparation for birth but this is no longer carried out. “There’s nothing elegant about giving birth,” says Linda, a registered nurse and mother-of-two. “My friend pooed on her husband’s brand-new running shoes”.

Postnatal Bleeding

After giving birth, your partner will have a bloody, vaginal discharge called lochia for several days, sometimes lasting as long as six weeks. This will turn a brownish colour before tapering to a yellowish-white. Lochia can be alarmingly smelly. Your partner will be advised to use sanitary towels instead of tampons due the risk of possible ascending infection. Large amounts of blood loss may leave your partner feeling weak and dizzy. Make sure she eats regularly to maintain blood sugar level, particularly iron-rich foods such as leafy green vegetables.

Involuntary Urination

Stress incontinence is common in the later stages of pregnancy and following childbirth. Even a slight cough or laughter can induce involuntary urination. Strengthening pelvic floor muscles helps to reduce this.

No related posts.

Grace Eva Sanxi was born by torchlight. After a twenty-six-hour labour, the lights went out twelve minutes before her birth.

Gerard & Grace Eva Sanxi

Discovery

At first I was in shock. Then it was, “yeah, I’m going to have a baby”. I wanted kids last year but my partner Cat wasn’t ready at the time. She was 26. The difficulty was that Cat and I had been together for six years before we broke up. Then I found out she was pregnant. From the beginning I maintained that I was going to be there for her and the baby. We are working things out.

Pregnancy

First stages were surreal. You can’t see anything, can’t feel anything. It’s a complete female journey. At first Cat was saying she didn’t want me at the birth. But there was no way that I was going to miss the birth of my child. How could I not be there? I think Cat’s initial response was an emotional, protective mechanism. It is such an intimate space for a female. Neither of us wanted to know the sex of our baby until it was born. We had booked into a suite at the Mercy Women’s Hospital where the rooms were set up so it was more like a home birth than a hospital.

Labour

Cat is very active. The day before, she had swum 40 laps of a 50m pool and cycled to and from work. When she got into bed the following night, the contractions began. It was winter. We set up an area in front of the fire where she continued having contractions throughout the night. By 5am the contractions were three minutes apart and lasting 45 seconds each. They were the most amazing convulsions. At this stage I had no idea how intense it was going to be. It was so very primal. Everything took over. I was absorbed, taking polaroids. Our birthplan was that Cat and I would do the labour with no drugs. We had packed Bush Flower Emergency Essence, Bach Flower Remedies, candles, crystals, fresh juice, a homemade vegetable lentil soup with chick peas, fresh breads, home made muffins, organic apples, liquorice, dates – it was all very lush. We first rang the hospital 4am but it was a little early to leave. When we got there a few hours later, we unpacked. We were there until 4pm then we went home for a change of atmosphere. The next five hours were really intense and at 10pm we went back to the hospital. I went through an entire bottle of Emergency Essence. Cat was completely focussed allowing her instincts to completely take over. Because the baby was resting on her back this amplified the pain. We used pressure points on her back, reflex points on her feet and lots of hot towels and showers. At midnight the lights in our room went out. Twelve minutes later Grace was born by torchlight.

Birth

Cat was in front of me squatting with her hands on my knees. As Grace was born, we could hardly see anything. Suddenly Grace slid across the mat like an iceskater. My first words were: “F**k Cat, it’s a baby!” I was blindly taking photos, the most extraordinary photos. The placenta was still inside and I was saying: “What type, what type is it?” I was so euphoric. Cat had the baby in her arms and we worked out that we had a little girl. The bizarre thing was that the lights were on everywhere else in the hospital.

Grace

We named her Grace Eva Sanxi after a character from a 16th Century love story. Grace was 6.930 grams and 49cm in length. Born at 12.12am on 20th July 2001, the Chinese Year of the Snake with her Sun and Moon in Cancer. Grace was born in her membrane sac or “cowl” as they refer to it. Apparently if you are born in your cowl you will never drown at sea. I had never heard of this. Just doing the first nappy was freaky. I was so cautious and boy, it was a shocking nappy. The first week I did all the nappies and food so I quickly got better at it. Grace is amazing. Her eyes were open from day one. Cat and Grace have increased the intensity of my honesty and purpose on this earth.
 
 

Related posts:

1. Real life birth story: a posterior baby

Daniel was 33 when he became a father for the first time. Although Lisa and Daniel were living together, the pregnancy was not planned. Lisa and Daniel found out they were having a little girl and named her Myla Alabama.

Discovery

I had absolutely no thoughts whatsoever about having a child. It was not in my agenda at all. I’d been doing the usual thing, saying I’ll do it one day. Then Lisa told me she was pregnant.
What I realise now is that I was always ready to have children with Lisa but I didn’t know it at the time.

During The Pregnancy

I found the pregnancy far too long and very boring. Apart from the fact that I thought Lisa looked amazing and very sexy, the whole process didn’t interest me. I’m very impatient. I wanted it all to happen immediately.

Lisa’s emphasis was on the baby; my emphasis was on Lisa. The mother has a relationship with the baby from day one…with a huge belly and amazingly large breasts…

But for me it seemed surreal. I couldn’t really comprehend the thought of us having a baby at the end of it. I was still in the role of bachelor in that my responsibilities hadn’t really changed. All along people were asking me lots of questions but were shocked by my answers. Because I was still working out how I felt myself, I was being honest about it all but people were automatically assuming I didn’t want to have a baby. That’s not the case. I guess being honest was a shock for everyone.

Ultrasound Scan

Just before the first scan I was very nervous, but once I got over that, it seemed a non-entity. It was nice to know there was nothing wrong. But the image was just like one of those pictures you see on television. It didn’t stir me.

Birth Date

We were given a birth date but even that seemed so arbitrary and unreal. Even with three weeks to go, it wasn’t on my mind. I was phoned at work and was told that Lisa was going to be induced.
This was an interesting turn of events as I still was unable to believe that she was going to have it.

Labour

Then I got the call to say she had gone into labour. I got to the hospital and nothing had changed at all. The pregnancy just carried on.
I expected there to be drama. Instead we just watched TV. It was all very civilised. There was nowhere near enough panic. I was half expecting them to come in and say it’s all a false alarm and to go home.

Eventually we were taken to a birthing room. It became obvious that Lisa wasn’t going to give birth that night so she had an epidural and I stayed in a very sparse and sterile room down the hall and fell asleep in there until the next morning when it all kicked off. But still there was not much panic. When she was fully dilated, I left the room. Both Lisa and I thought there was more of a down side than up side if I remained in the room.

Birth

A few hours later I was standing outside the delivery room. I will never forget this; I can still picture it in my mind. The doctor came out and I asked: “Has she had it?”
The doctor said: “Yes, it’s a girl. They’re cleaning up”. At that moment I became very emotional, panicky. It was a very strange feeling to know I was going to walk through the door and see Lisa and my daughter. It was overwhelming.

It was a very female/male birth. I hadn’t wanted to see Lisa in any animalistic state. But to walk in and see her with our baby daughter in her arms - that was perfect. It was a very romantic notion. Lisa was looking worn out but beautiful, just beautiful.

First Meeting

When I held Myla, I was very nervous, she was so small. It wasn’t love at first sight; it was more of the whole shock of the situation. It still seemed so surreal and I didn’t feel it was my baby. It was so unbelievable.

Adjustment

Most difficult adjustment was taking her home from the hospital. When you are carting a baby round the first time, they come with a s**t load of stuff. You see other people doing it, then suddenly you are doing it. And suddenly it’s three or four trips to the car.

To be honest I wasn’t actually very involved in the first three months. I’d change Myla and organise things but Lisa and I adopted very male and female roles. It’s an interesting point about our relationship. We were very happy to exist in our female and male roles. We’d both decided that Myla wasn’t going to sleep in our bedroom. We felt it was important that we had our relationship back as soon as possible.
I was nervous about Myla sleeping in a cot so we got a baby monitor with a heartbeat on it 

Bonding

Myla has become a little person. Initially it seemed she was just a little thing with staring eyes and a mouth that wanted to be filled. If someone asks me how I feel about her now, I feel there’s something there. There’s humour in her eyes; there’s character. 

Survival

In a funny way I had to admire Myla’s sense of survival. It’s raw nature. She was absolutely obsessed with feeding. It was as though she had no regard for anything else on the planet other than her own desire to feed and Lisa’s welfare was never a factor. It made no difference if Lisa was exhausted, tired, had no milk or was on the verge of breakdown, Myla continued to demand food. The way Lisa dealt with this was incredible. She evolved from being a bit of party girl to being a capable and competent mother.

No related posts.

In discussing whether or not you will be present at the birth, it is important that you both listen to each other’s wishes and include any misgivings you may have. Many couples feel that sharing the experience of birth enriches their relationship and feelings towards the newly born child. Some men say they wouldn’t miss this moment for anything in the world and insist on being present to symbolically cut the cord. Other men are not so eager to witness their partner in pain and covered in blood. Think practically about what is suitable. Firstly, do you want to be present? Would your partner want you there? Would you be willing to help? Would you be able to cope seeing your partner’s perineum cut during an episiotomy, or would witnessing a Caesarean be too disturbing for you? In making this decision, there is no right and wrong. You may wish to remain with your partner throughout the labour then make a hasty retreat before the actual delivery.

Be honest. If you would rather be on the other side of the door, explain this to your partner. In many cultures, birth is something that is attended by women only.

Birthplan

Sometimes considered a wild card, a birthplan provides something for you to aim towards. It helps prepare a woman psychologically for the labour and delivery and can highlight those wishes that are important to her.

Nothing unites and divides women so much as the experience of childbirth. Everyone has his or her own idea of what a good birth entails. Some women are determined to do it naturally at home with a midwife and birthing partner present and no medical pain relief. Others are so frightened they opt for an elective Caesarean even if it is not medically necessary.

Most women fall somewhere in-between, and plan for a natural labour, with the option of pain relief when the going gets tough or medical intervention if complications occur.

A birthplan sets out the preferred plan for the birth and can include information about what you would like to happen if any complications arise. If you are to be present at the labour and/or birth, it is important you are familiar with the birth plan and your partner’s wishes. You may become her voice when she is unable to talk.

Preparation For Labour

Your partner’s body prepares for labour by increasing levels of hormones in the last weeks of pregnancy. Symptoms may include:

• Within the last month of pregnancy, your baby may position itself lower in the pelvis in the cephalic presentation of head downwards. This releases pressure on your partner’s diaphragm but transferring pressure to the bladder. Breathing may become easier but the need to pass urine increases.
• Braxton Hicks practice contractions. Some women experience these from mid pregnancy although others may be oblivious to them until the latter stages of pregnancy. These contractions prepare both your baby and your partner’s uterus for labour. They stimulate the release of oxytocin, the hormone necessary for the progression of labour. Oxytocin also helps numb the area. During a practice contraction, the uterus tightens for 25-30 seconds. The contractions become stronger and more frequent as labour intensifies.
• Your partner may instinctively begin “nesting” by cleaning and organising for the baby’s arrival.
• Your partner is likely to go through fluctuating emotions.
• During pregnancy, a mucus plug seals the entrance to the cervix to protect your baby from infection. This plug comes away as the cervix begins to dilate in what is known as a “show”. This is often a signal of the onset of labour.

Practical Preparation For Labour 

• Become familiar with the acupressure points used during labour and delivery and be prepared to massage them when needed
• If you have planned a hospital or birth centre delivery, help your partner pack the labour bag. Many women are forgetful and absent-minded during the latter stages of pregnancy.
• If you are planning to drive to the hospital/birthing centre, make sure you know the route ahead of time.
• If you plan to bring your newborn home with you in your car, you are legally required in Australia to have an approved car restraint for your baby. The capsule is the most common option and comes with a bolt to anchor it in your car. Make sure your car has the necessary anchor point. Recent car models all have this facility.
• If you have older children, help organise where they will be during the labour and birth. You may need to pack an overnight bag for them if they are staying elsewhere.
• Be aware that childbirth involves a lot of blood and gore.

Onset Of Labour

Labour can begin in many different ways. Some signs are more definite than others are and if several indications occur simultaneously, it is likely labour has already begun. The following may indicate the onset of labour:

• contractions are progressively more frequent and painful
• contractions intensify and cannot be relieved
• a pink or blood-tinged “show”
• waters breaking – this could be a gush of clear fluid or a small trickle
• increasing abdominal discomfort
• backache – a low central ache getting worse
• passing urine every few minutes
• difficulty concentrating
• an inability to talk

Contact Your Doctor/Midwife

Contact your doctor or midwife if any of the following occur:

• your partner’s waters break
• there is bleeding
• contractions are strong enough to leave your partner breathless

Once the waters have broken, there is a risk of infection within the pregnancy sac. Even if there are no contractions, labour nearly always starts within a few hours of the waters breaking. If more than 24 hours lapses, it may be advisable to induce labour.

The very early stages of labour can be unsettling for a woman. Many women find it best to remain active both physically and mentally.

Your Role During Labour

• stay close to your partner so you can provide help
• remain positive, even if you are panicking
• be emotionally supportive and offer encouragement
• reassure her about how well she’s doing and how far she has come
• help her relax in between contractions
• offer to massage her back and acupressure points
• offer her snacks for energy
• have water handy
• keep pain management and general comfort aids handy. For example, hot water bottle, massage oils, stress ball, facial spray, lip balm, socks, tissues etc
• ensure that your partner is comfortable
• during painful contractions help her manage the pain by being positive and calming her anxiety
• help with the breathing routine

Your Role At Birth

• Offer the following help when preparing for the delivery:
• Know your partner’s birthplan and wishes. You may need to speak for her when labour intensifies.
• help her find a comfortable position and support her
• help her focus on her breathing rhythm and remind her to take deep breaths as she pushes
• comfort, reassure and relax her in between contractions by massaging her or wiping her face
• when you can see the baby’s head make sure she can too, hold a mirror so she can see the baby emerge

Labour and birth often don’t go exactly to plan. The most important thing is to be there, offering love, support and encouragement.

Father's Labour Bag For A Hospital/Birth Centre

• layers of clothing as temperature can change 
• bathroom items to freshen up including a toothbrush and toothpaste, facecloth, deodorant.
• plenty of snacks as it is unlikely that you will be catered for and you may spend hours waiting.  
• money for parking or to buy something for you or your partner to drink or eat
• small change for phone calls as most hospitals do not allow mobile phones   
• music for you and your partner 
• a book or magazine to read
• a diary to record the birth  
• a camera or video camera to record the birth (check hospital or birthing centre policy first to avoid disappointment)  
• games to occupy you both during idle periods
• a list of prioritised phone numbers 
• Australian Bush Flower Emergency Essence
• birthplan

• aromatherapy labour blend to massage your partner
• refreshing facial spray
• lip balm   
• tissues
• icecubes
• fresh facecloths
• fresh snacks
• Australian Bush Flower Emergency Essence
• candles
• music
• a symbolic photograph or picture of your partner’s choice
• plenty of sanitary pads for postnatal bleeding

Related posts:

1. Active Birth
2. Labour
3. Sex As A Labour Catalyst

John Weldon is a freelance writer. The following column "In Praise of Dad's Labour of Love" first appeared in the Age.

Fatherhood is a truly wonderful experience, so they tell me, and it is one I am certainly looking forward to exploring, as and when it happens, which, as it happens in my case, will probably be sometime around 10 weeks from now.

To hold that little baby in my arms as I sit through endless hours of late night TV evangelism, desperately trying to lull it to sleep, will undoubtedly be a sublime experience.

However, there is another reason, and a much more selfish one, why I am so looking forward to the birth, and that is that it will mark my graduation from first-time expectant father to actual father, and that is a change of monumental proportions, for there is no one lower in the parental food chain than the first-time dad-to-be.

It’s like starting high school all over again; everybody knows more than you. All those in the higher grades, i.e. those who already have children, feel it is incumbent on them to put the fear of God into you with respect to how horribly your life is about to change. Even women who have never given birth will go on about how you couldn’t possibly understand that which they’ve never gone through themselves.

Mothers of young babies will gleefully recount that fact that they’ve only had sex three times in the two years since junior’s birth. "There just isn’t time," they say "what with the feeding bathing, washing, crying, sleeping, vomiting, (and that’s just the parents) sterilising, folding, ironing, and fighting over whose turn it is to get up and so on."

Father’s will wince and their faces will twist with remembered pain as they tell you how beautiful the birthing experience was, and how they wouldn’t have missed it for the world, even though at the time they were mainly focussed on remaining up right and conscious above all else.

What’s worse, as soon as you announce to the world that junior is on the way, you will cease to be the centre of anybody’s world anymore, except for your own of course – nothing could ever change that.

Quite surprisingly, people will want to talk to your partner about the impending birth more than they do you, even though it was your ‘boys’ that did all the hard work of getting the conception business going in the first place. Even your own mother, will show remarkably more interest in the unborn child, and its mother, than she does in you. When you pop around for tea from then on, rather than receiving steaming bowls of your favourite dessert you’ll be given a cot blanket and a pair of booties for the baby and a lecture along the lines of "it’s alright for the father to say cloth nappies are better for the environment, you won’t be the one changing them all day."

In fact everybody who has ever seen a baby, let alone had one, will feel it is their duty to give you the benefit of their experiences in the matter, while assuming at the same time that you are incapable of comprehending any of it.

Your societal worth will continue to diminish in inverse proportion to the increasing size of your partner’s belly, until that magical day when her swelling subsides and suddenly, you’re cradling your newborn baby in your arms and you realise that it’s all over. You’ve done the hard work and you can now enjoy the benefits of your labours, well her labour anyway.

No related posts.

Fathers say that hearing their child call them ‘dad' for the first time is a most awe-inspiring experience. A child gives love unconditionally and teaches you the art of unconditional giving. Here are some more fabulous reasons for being a dad: 

1. you are able to become a kid again
2. allows you to appreciate what your own parents have done for you
3. enhances your sense of purpose and responsibility
4. constantly challenges and reassesses your values in life
5. adds grounding and perspective to your life
6. provides an opportunity to explore activities that you missed as a child
7. creates a renewed and positive focus
8. offers a chance to invest emotionally and psychologically in shaping your child's future
9. teaches you the value of positive interaction
10. provides proof that your sperm work!

British superstar "Naked" chef Jamie Oliver, still barefoot in the kitchen, sums up his experience of entering the realm of parenthood as such: "Becoming a father is the best thing I have ever done. Even before the birth, when Jules was pregnant, I began to think differently – it was less about me and more about the future of my family. I suppose it gives you a different set of priorities. It’s been amazing, really amazing."

No related posts.