any Expectant Fathers?? got links?

hopeful dad

1) Anyone got any good links for expectant fathers most good sites are geared towards the mother.

2) Anyone fancy getting a board going here for fathers

Nevyn

This forum was set up delibratly to be inclusive of mother and fathers and anyone that has input to a childs life.
There are a quiet a few dads and dad's to be that do post here.

http://www.babycenter.com/pregnancy/expectingdads/index
http://www.dadcafe.co.uk/

nesf

This forum is fine imho. I've found it useful and informative. No need for a seperate father's forum. Tbh, I don't think that segregating in such a way is a good idea.

Slutmonkey57b

This should cover the basics for you. Wrote it for a female colleague in work a while ago.

Ra1ph

I see that you don't reccommend a baby carrier. Has anyone tired them? As an expectant father I would be interested in them however my partner reckons that they are not very fashionable. Anyone got any views or experience using one.

nesf

Amusing Document. I'll take some of that advice to heart. Hopefully the fact that it's the first grandchild on both sides will help with the flow of baby goods...

embee

I noticed on your list there that you recommended a baby walker... These devices have fallen out of favour with experts as they are believed to hinder a babys natural walking development etc.

When I was shopping for baby stuff in Mothercare, the sales assistant there told me that they aren't necessary and can actually cause harm to babies in some cases.

CJhaughey

Ra1ph wrote:

I see that you don't reccommend a baby carrier. Has anyone tired them? As an expectant father I would be interested in them however my partner reckons that they are not very fashionable. Anyone got any views or experience using one.

We had a Baby bjorn front carrier, and found it really handy.
when baby was small he faced towards you and had good head support, later he could face out and see what was going on which kept him interested.
The babybjorn are about the best of the lot, I have tried a few and many were just rubbish some made of nylon were uncomfortably slippery and sweaty,We also tried the baby sling, personally I found it a waste of time but maybe that is because I am a large build and it didn't seem to fit me properly.
But the babybjorn carrier was small packed down to almost nothing and was made of a kind of padded cotton that washed well and never looked too shabby.
I recommend it.
Babies like the warmth and security too.

Nevyn

Both mine used a walker, but you do have to be carefull not to have them in it
too soon before thier legs are developed and not to have them it so long they
become dependant on it and won't walk on thier own.

Kernel32

CJhaughey wrote:

We had a Baby bjorn front carrier, and found it really handy.
when baby was small he faced towards you and had good head support, later he could face out and see what was going on which kept him interested.
The babybjorn are about the best of the lot, I have tried a few and many were just rubbish some made of nylon were uncomfortably slippery and sweaty,We also tried the baby sling, personally I found it a waste of time but maybe that is because I am a large build and it didn't seem to fit me properly.
But the babybjorn carrier was small packed down to almost nothing and was made of a kind of padded cotton that washed well and never looked too shabby.
I recommend it.
Babies like the warmth and security too.

I have to second this. We had a cheaper clone of the babybjorn and it wasn't great. We were told to buy the real deal so we did and it was fantastic. I used the baby bjorn and my wife used a sling. Our son loved it, he was up high and could see everything rather than stuck in a stroller. Stroller was great for when he was sleepy but baby bjorn was for when he was awake and alert.

Slutmonkey57b

embee - I've found a lot of the advice you get about babies is either random scaremongering or essentially fashionable "of the time" advice. Just about everything a baby can interact with is potentially bad for them, and an "expert" can make a case for banning or recommending just about anything. Common Sense is by far the best expert you can refer yourself to, and a walker isn't something that you're going to force your kid to live in 24/7. It's something that a baby can use to get itself around and explore at an age when it's desperate to do so but not quite at the stage where it's strong enough to get up on its own two feet and do it. Common Sense says: babies love them, and they won't be spending that long in them so you'll be ok.

Remember, an entire generation of american kids was brought up on Dr. Spock's "throw out the rule book" expertise, only for Spock to turn around 30 years later and admit that in actual fact, he was wrong.

Baby carriers I actually forgot about when I was writing that - I found them excellent, provided like Kernel says you get one with good support, not just for baby but for you as well - good shoulder straps and a back support are a blessing. Bear in mind that even with the best one, you'll be so paranoid about baby you'll be holding its head anyway. If you're having to get on buses or public transport a lot you'll find them a godsend, and probably better than a buggy when baby is small. Again, get it cheap, or second hand, and ignore fashionable names with large price tags. If in doubt, give it a yank.

Important note about carriers: If you have a cute baby, it makes it a lot easier for people to stop and poke, and you can show off a lot better. Babies also love being up at mummy and daddy's height and seeing what's going on. The Big Eyes effect this generates also makes baby look cuter, though you may find yourself slightly nauseous at times if baby has a naturally cheesy personality.

lisa1607

Hi Hopeful Dad,

On your original post, you should check out a really good book my husband got when our babies were born, well worth reading, light hearted view but not laddish or patronising, just tells it as it is....well written and v humourous

Fatherhood - the truth - Marcus Berkmann

Lisa

Hobbes

Put my son in a walker. Once he figured out how it moved he went around like lightning. However not much space for him to wander around.

He kind of hates it now as he prefers to be crawling around the place and actually tries walking by holding onto chairs, walls, legs, etc.

squire1

I also hate all this scaremongering about certain baby equipment. My young fella used to go crazy for the walker. In between his sitting up and competant crawling stage he would fly around the house in it just following me or his mother around. Now that he is cruising he has no interest in it and has recenly started walking (normally, I should add).

We also got him one of those bouncy things you can hang out of the door frame. This was also a big hit before he started crawling but now has no interest in it.

Another piece of kit that was really useful was an inflatable doughnut shaped ring that he used before he could sit up properly. It was about three Ft across and it supported him while he played with his toys. It meant you could get on with some housework or something while he amused himself.

Any of this equipment is fine once it is in good working order and is properly supervised. (i.e no walkers up stairs for instance).

cuckoo

newstalk106 has a Dad to be Diary on their Sean Moncrieff show, podcasts can be found on their site:

http://www.newstalk106.ie/podcasting.html

lynski

Just giving this thread a bump, as the list is great.:)