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I’ve written before about the absolute whirlwind of thoughts and emotions that comes from being told you’re going to be a dad for the first time. It’s an exciting and confusing state to be in. All of a sudden, you’ll be hearing words and terms that you’ve never come across in your life. If you don’t want to be the guy in the room asking “a Braxton what?” then you’ll need to start swotting up now.
Thankfully, everything you could ever wish to know has been collated into a handy guide by Daddilife Books. You’re Going to be a Dad covers everything from the first trimester to the first 12 months of fatherhood. I’ve often said that it feels surreal to just leave the maternity ward with a new baby; the expectation being that you’ll just figure it out somehow. I mean, even if you come home with a new microwave, you’d expect an instruction book at least.
Now, dads have a guide book in You’re Going to be a Dad. Not only do I wish I had this to hand when my first child was born, I also imagine my wife would have appreciated the break in answering all of my questions too!
Whilst your partner notices the changes with her body, and the little person growing inside, it can be a somewhat abstract concept for men to get their head around. You can’t see or hear your little one, so it can almost feel a little unreal. This is where I enjoyed finding out about what was happening at each stage of the pregnancy. It helps you to visualise what’s going on a little better. The book does a good job of this, telling you what part of their bodies are developing at each stage, and giving an idea of size too. You’re Going to be a Dad breaks the pregnancy down into weeks. Did you know that by week 8 your baby is the size of a kidney bean, and by week 14, they’ll be the size of a peach?
Because of all of this info, You’re Going to be a Dad is a reassuringly weighty tome. You can tell that a lot of time and research has gone into this book, and it doesn’t have to pad out sections with tired “time for the pub” jokes that some others do. In fact, one of the book’s main strengths is its ability to connect with the reader. Sure, it’s written in a friendly manner, but it also features advice from over 50 other real fathers. These all come from a variety of different backgrounds and pregnancy/relationship journeys, meaning that whatever your situation, you’re likely to find some encouraging advice from someone in a similar spot.
Interestingly, it also offers reflections of what we can learn from The Covid-19 pandemic, with tips for any possible future restrictions. As a father to a baby born right at the start of the lockdown, I can attest to the difference between her birth, and my son’s five years earlier. Given the amount of change since, it only stands to reason that parents-to-be can benefit from a more recent publication.
Overall, You’re Going to be a Dad is a near-essential read for dads to be. There’s weekly checklists, tonnes of medical and scientific information, and even some psychological content relating to a father’s mindset. Order yourself a copy from Amazon now.