I had forty weeks to transition into being a mom. At the first sound of that steady woosh woosh, the thump of a flat tire that was our son’s heartbeat, my heart got in sync with his.
My husband, on the other hand, didn’t experience the reassuring taps of a baby who was running out of room or feel the jabs in the ribs that kept me up at night—a prelude to life with a newborn.
He walked his hobbling wife into a hospital and wheeled her and a baby out a few days later.
Life changes abruptly for a dad. But the transition to parenthood may not come easily for either of you, even if your wife did have a head start. From my experience becoming a mother three times over, and watching my husband do the same, these ten rules will help you both get through the transition with as few bumps as possible.
To read to my 10 rules for soon-to-be dads (and see if you agree!), follow me to the Deseret News in one quick click. Thank you so much for the support!
I love the simplicity to your posts. I love this post. I love the suggestions that you shared. I also especially liked how you pointed out to ME as a woman, the man doesn’t feel the emotional tug during the pregnancy stage. I’ve never really thought about what it’s like for my husband. Like, I get pregnant, and then all of a sudden, in my case, 27 weeks later there is this little tiny person in our lives. To me, it wasn’t all that crazy because he had been with me the whole time, but to a man I can’t imagine what a crazy but surreal and emotional moment that would really be.
Hi Haili! Thank you so much for your sweet words. 27 weeks, huh? Wow, I can hardly imagine! I spent some time looking at your blog – it is beautiful! It’s easy to see we both have a heart for “going deep”…and maybe small talk isn’t our forte. 🙂 Your writing is grounded in faith, which I admire. Keep in touch!
Wonderful list! I wish all women were fortunate enough to have husbands like this. I’m always so thankful for my husband and he’s a fabulous daddy, too.
Well said, Andrea! I wouldn’t say either Ryan and I hit these 100%, but our continual efforts make all the difference.
great article Erica, it is a great list. I agree with the socks, but haven’t been able to convince my husband :).
As we expect our second one I am reminded of the anticipation of last time and the newness of it all, this time it still seems so new and unknown, even though I was only there 18 short months ago!
Hi Allison! I think I felt a bit like that during my second and third pregnancies. It all still feels new and unknown, because you don’t know what each baby will be like (will she have colic? will he be a decent sleeper?) and you don’t know how the older sibling will adjust. But once each baby came to us, I found myself settling into it quicker than I thought. It’s like an old glove. You got this! 🙂
Thanks so much for reading the article and coming back here to comment. I appreciate it!