I hope this isn’t an inappropriate question to pose here.
If all goes well I’ll be a first-time dad this summer and I want to do my research. I’ve done some general searching online for answers to specific questions, but I’d love two or three more comprehensive resources. You know, the kind of thing to give me answers to questions I hadn’t even considered.
I spent some time searching for pregnancy books oriented to men, thinking it could give me some useful insight into being an ideal partner during the process. At the same time, I’m hoping it’ll give me a good general idea of what to expect. The results of my search were rather disappointing. It seems like the majority of books of that nature seem overly bro-ey and just generally too macho for me. I found titles legit along the lines of “Baby Hacks EVERY Man Must Know.” Ok, not for me …
A few popped up that on the surface seemed more promising, but when I looked into them I got wary. One seemed to be sponsored by some men’s parenting social media site and the other was written by a self-professed influencer. Also not for me. (I’m on Lemmy because I can’t stand influencer-culture.)
I finally settled on a book that seemed a little more my speed in terms of attitude, but with very little substance. It’s basically 150 pages of, “Hey, you should be nice to your wife.” OK. That’s already my standard operating procedure, so we’re good there.
I feel like what I want has to be out there. I’m just looking for a resource to tell me all of the little things. You know, stuff like signs to watch out for regarding potential dangers during the pregnancy, what the hell I’m supposed to do while my wife is giving birth, how to avoid falling down the stairs with my new baby, etc.
Anyway … Do any of ya’ll have any hidden gems to recommend? My wife and I are elder millenials so we’ve got some life experience under our belts. As it probably matters for the topic of parenting, we’re quite progressive but don’t buy into anything too woo-woo (we’re big believers in science).
A new parent class will hit a number of the “how to not drop the baby” items, and give practice on swaddling (which seems dumb, but is great).
I liked “The Ultimate Stay-at-Home Dad” by Shannon Carpenter. Not for the how to, but the solidarity.
Thanks! We definitely discussed those classes where they prep you for birth (drawing a blank on the name) but somehow I didn’t even consider that a new parent class could be a thing. That’s a great idea, at least for if my wife’s (late afternoon / evening) “morning” sickness ever ends and she feels like leaving the house after work.