How Can I Help?

[Pete Incaviglia]

Since there are a few new fathers on the board (myself included), I'm wondering: What else can I do to help my wife during the first few months?

We've elected to have my wife breastfeed.

So, I stay up as long and as often I as can and do all the changes so she can sleep.

I do the laundry, run her baths, cook the meals when I can, wash the dishes, even hold juice and a straw for her to drink while she feeds the baby.

Any other mothers or fathers have advice on things to do to help?

 

[GBNF]

Give her the remote.
Rub her feet/shoulders.
Change the diapers even when it's not your turn.
Plan a "romance" night just when she's about to crack.

And I ain't even a dad - just a doting uncle..

Congrats, though, P_I, very cool indeed.

 

[User 7467]

Congrats.
One thing we did was pump a bottle during day & the hubby took the last nighttime feeding.
Helped the baby learn to take a bottle (important if you ever want to get a sitter before weaning, and i'm betting you will need a break)... gave me a break .. and gave dad & baby bonding time.
And ... it's never too early to start reading aloud to the wee one.
Sounds like you are doing great Mr. P.I.
Congrats!

 

[shockey]

congrats! hor exciting!

let me echo having the mrs. pump a bottle during the day so you can do the 2 a.m. feeding. change as many diapers as you can.

basically, do whatever she says for at least three months. and enjoy. despite the sleep deprivation, there's nothing like it. even when the little bundle of joy leaks through his/her diaper onto you during a feeding. ;D ;D ;D

enjoy every second. time really does fly -- which is why some people have more than one. it all becomes a blur.

the eldest of the three sons of shockey was 18 on sunday! holy effin' crap! the youngest turns 13 on friday. yup, the baby's a teenager. yikes!

 

[playthrough]

I'd say you're doing pretty good, Pete.

My daughter never took to breastfeeding, so my wife did nothing but pump milk for more than six months, up to six times a day. Brutal. I did everything I could possibly do for her and still felt inadequate.