Having a baby!!!

[layd0g]

I was just informed that after almost a year of trying we are finally expecting out first child! Do any of you all have suggestions on books, websites, etc. anything for a first time father?

 

[plankbr]

Best book ever: Daddy's Pregnant Too! Our son is now 7.5 months! Congratulations! Don't give up brewing! It will help you stay sane when Happy Hour is no longer an option.

 

[gdbrewer]

Congrats!!

 

[glick]

There is no handbook brother!! You'll do great. Congratulations!!!

 

[JohnnyRay]

Congrats man! My wife is due any day now. The classes we took through our hospital on labor and how to take care of your new born were totally worth it. At least gives you the illusion that you have some idea of what you're getting into

Brewing the "impatient man's lambic" this weekend for the wife once she can finally have a few drinks again.

Good luck!

 

[MuddyCreek]

Book of Revelations?

; - ) Congratulations.

 

[duboman]

No one gave me a book and my 3 are still alive Be prepared to have less time to brew and more time to drink! Congrats!!

 

[estricklin]

They sure don't come with instructions! I'm sure there are plenty of great books out there, on the other hand NO book is going to really prepare you for the changes at hand.

My little Cheeto Princess is 5 now, can't believe she's in school already.

Congrats, and your gonna be fine!

 

[Brewtah]

Congratulations! You could brew a special delivery beer to celebrate with your wife after the delivery. Stork Stout Baby on Board Belgian, ok I will stop now.

 

[chocotaco]

Happiest Baby On The Block by Dr. Harvey Karp.

Learn about the 4th trimester and the 5 S's and you'll be golden. I recommend the video version which you can probably find at your local library.

This thing saved me and the wife. Our first was a nightmare until we learned about the whys and hows of soothing him. After that it was a lot of work but at least he was happy (he was a difficult baby; our new daughter has been much more easygoing)

Also if the little one has digestive issues (most of them do early on, brand new guts and all) I recommend Udo's Choice infant probiotic available at your local hippie grocery or iHerb.com. Pricey but effective (and it lasts a while, doses are tiny)

 

[jrgtr42]

Congrats...
The advice my brother mentioned (he now has 4 kids) is to get stocked up on sleep now. You won't be doing much more for about 20 years.

 

[TxBrew]

Congrats! I suggest winging it. Walking in with preconceived notions for the first one won't help you. By the second the only book you read is baby name books.

 

[savannahbrew]

Advice? If you don't drink coffee start! Congrats. Its a wild ride but a good one.

 

[Spc_Scott]

Congratulations! You are going to have so much fun! I'm going to second both the winging it and coffee advice. Keep breathing and a cup of patience is about all I have to add.

 

[chawagi]

Congrats. You'll drive yourself nuts trying to incorporate what everyone else thinks is correct parenting into your style. Do your thing, and if it feels right...then you're probably at least in the ballpark of proper parenting.

I will give this one piece of priceless advice that was given to me though: lose the "Shhhh, The baby is sleeping" mentality now. Babies will sleep when they're ready to no matter what you do. Get the kid used to sleeping through a train wreck now, and you'll never have an issue with sleep later.

 

[TheZymurgist]

Best piece of advice I got was get used to change. Once you figure out their routine, they'll change it up on you. For me, the first three months were the hardest, and hardest is pretty relative. Our first (six months old tomorrow) has been extremely easy compared to the horror stories we heard. Once she started smiling and recognizing us, it was easier.

 

[layd0g]

Thank you all for the tips and encouragement. My wife is a NICU nurse so she's got FAR more experience with little ones than I will probably ever have. Just trying to get a little insight for the upcoming addition.

Thanks again everyone!

 

[TheZymurgist]

Thank you all for the tips and encouragement. My wife is a NICU nurse so she's got FAR more experience with little ones than I will probably ever have. Just trying to get a little insight for the upcoming addition.

Thanks again everyone!

Oh, you're fine then. We had so many nurses preaching to my wife about breast feeding and how horrible a person is if they don't breast feed, but the NICU nurses were the most practical. They always said do what works. They also got our daughter on a three hour feeding schedule from day one, which was a huge help. I don't understand the people that feed on demand. How do they know if the kid is actually hungry or just crying because they're a baby? Anyways, just find what works best for you and your wife.

Oh, and the dryer is an amazing tool for a crying child. Just remember, ON the dryer, not IN the dryer!

 

[jhoneycutt]

Samething der admin said, just wing. Not only that but there rarely are ever two pregnancies or babies even close to alike other than maybe the looks department. I can say for sure though that they don't break nearly as easily as you'd think they do. Also something my wife would throw in is gently convince your wife to breast feed if possible, and get her to drink no more than one hoppy hoppy hoppy beer a day, it helps with lactation. Or just a hop tea. Take lots of pictures too they grow fast.
Edit. Take embarrassing pictures for black male purposes later on too.

 

[Halbrust]

Hold him/her. A LOT!

Remember there are two parents. be there for your wife, and tell her when you need her there for you.

You will make mistakes. Big ones. Except that it was a mistake and move on, the damage is done.
Don't make the same mistake twice.

 

[Psych]

Congrats! My son is 4.5 weeks old now, and during pregnancy (and still) I've been basically living on babycenter.ca, the .com version for US is also good. There's so much pertinent and useful information on there, and some stuff specific to dads.

My biggest suggestion is brew like a mad man in the weeks/months before your due date! I intended to do this but my son came a couple weeks early and caught me off guard! I have no time to brew right now so had to resort to canned kits, ugh....you'll maybe get time after a few months or so hehe, this is what I'm hoping at least!

 

[troy2000]

Congrats...
The advice my brother mentioned (he now has 4 kids) is to get stocked up on sleep now. You won't be doing much more for about 20 years.

congrats. Get stocked up on sex too....

On a more serious note, I didn't have kids until I was forty, when I married a young toddler and his mother. She and I turned out one of our own, and we eventually started raising foster children too.

If I had known how much fun kids can be, I'd have started raising them twenty years sooner. But it's probably a good thing I delayed; I think I'd have been too hard-nosed when I was younger. I needed time to mellow out, and to learn not to take everything so seriously.

 

[Helly]

Congrats. We just had our second last month. Read "What to expect when your wife is expanding". Also just smile and nod when people say get your sleep now. You'll finally get it about a year from now. Good luck and wishes for healthy delivery and baby.

 

[Cyclman]

Congrats!

Scotch, preferably 18yo, helps the sleeping.

 

[NTXBrauer]

Congrats and +1 on Cyclman's post above.