About Being a New Father

Is a new bundle of joy on its way? The transition from being childless to actually becoming a father is an incredibly emotional experience. It can be incredibly challenging, but at the same time, there is an infinite joy that comes with being a father. It is perfectly natural to be in doubt-all fathers at one point or another will probably face more than one moment of anxiety and fear. The good news is that everyone goes through the same thing. Just rest assured that love is all you really need.

There are some very practical things you should know about becoming a father. Babies aren't all adorable smiles and hugs. They do tend to cry. Some cry a lot. Many babies will bawl endlessly for seemingly no reason whatsoever. They'll cry when you try to change their diapers. They'll tear up when you try to feed them their creamed spinach.

This may seem obvious, but babies cry and they may cry for all sorts of reasons and they may not stop. But don't be afraid. Babies are tough; you can hold them and cradle them. Try to comfort them, just make sure to hold them and gently support the head. Each baby is different, which means each baby likes different things. There are no universal rules that will apply to each and every baby.

You shouldn't get hung up on any one rule. Babies, are humans; they've got basic needs and desires.

Being a good father simply takes some effort and a whole lot of TLC. Even if you're clueless or tend to be the more hands-off type, you can still become the father of the year with some practice.

The first few months are probably some of the toughest you'll know. Both you and your partner will be knackered. A new mother has a lot of work to do, what with feeding and tending to the new baby; but that doesn't mean that she has all the knowledge nor does it mean that she should bear the brunt of the work.

The most crucial aspect of being a father is to engage in team work. Don't simply hand off tasks that you don't know how to handle to your partner. Even if she offers to take up for your slack, hang in there, try to do it yourself. Most likely, both of you will be pretty clueless in the beginning, so take this initial period as a time for both of you to explore the joys of parenthood.

In the beginning, the workload and the stress of caring for a new child, especially if you've never done it before can be overwhelming. You may not know what to do or how to do something; but don't fret, things like learning to change diapers and recognizing problems, and learning how to properly swaddle your child all are things that will come with time.

Just go for it. Get involved. Make mistakes and learn from them.

Carry your child. Talk to him (or her). Play with him. The more time you spend with your child, the more natural you'll feel as a parent.