Dads & Dads-to-be
hollandmama
member
suggestions for a book?
hollandmama
member
Hello dads and dads-to-be?
DH and I are having our first this July, he doesn't know anything about babies and baby care and I don't know a lot either so I got myself some books (haven't started the reading though)...
I wanted to ask if you have any suggestions for books for preparing to be a dad, something that can be fun to read and that a man can actually enjoy while reading... he reads a lot but if he doesn't like the first chapters he drops it!
Thanks in advance! 
Surprise BFP on 11/02/12 EDD 07/06/13 --> Express wedding on 12/29/2012 --> G was born on 07/15/13
*Multicultural family raising a multilingual toddler: Spanish, Italian, Dutch and English
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Re: suggestions for a book?
Dope. I read What to Expect with my wife and that was good, it helped me understand what was happening with my wife during the pregnancy and what my kid was doing inside there. BUT I'm now going to visit the site listed above, thanks!
peace,
katharine
Book-Kitten blog
MW got a lot of books out of the library and I skimmed them for her to see which ones were not all doom and gloom. I found very few of the books to be helpful at all. My brother even got us a subscription to Parents and I was the only one to read it.
We are taking the philosophy on how each of us was raised and combining the good with few of the newer recommendations.
I am a academic nerd, so I purchased the Mayo Clinic Complete Book of Pregnancy & Baby's First Year. Very, very informative across all areas of growth and development, from conception through the first year.
I will share this little insight. I was so fearful that I would be overwhelmed by our first child. It was the exact opposite, and from the moment he arrived I have never once doubted my ability to care for him, and my instincts about his health and moods.
I never understood what primal meant until the birth of our child. Books are good for a guide, but you will learn quickly that your parenting instincts with your own children are better than what any book may provide you.
It may just be easier to find articles online about different topics and print them off, then store them in a binder. Helpful topics to include would be car seat safety (how to properly strap baby in, etc.), how to change a diaper (especially helpful if you plan on using cloth diapers), how important daddy-baby bonding is, etc. Also, see if you can find a few really good blogs by dads that he could follow.
While it can be super helpful for mamas to read books on birth, a lot of those little "after baby is born" issues can just be looked up as they arise. No need to hand your DH a baby book that brings up a ton of issues that you may never encounter with your LO! I think it is better to keep basic baby care info straight and to the point.
As far as books to read, I really like the book "How to raise a Modern Day Knight." There is a similar one for raising girls. It just brings up some really deep things to think about when it comes to raising children and making sure there are moments in their life where parents really focus on celebrating their growth over the years. They are published by Focus on the Family. It would be fun to include something like that with ultrasound pictures when you find out if you are having a boy or girl, especially if your DH isn't able to go with you to the appointment