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Firstly, congrats OP. Nothing much, I would say good bye to sleep for periods longer than 2 hours, buy some parting gifts for your personal life, space, and everything else. It’s going to be all about the baby for the next few months before you may catch a break. After a day of tiredness, sleepiness, and crankiness, it’s all going to start over again in a few hours. FYI, my daughter was relatively low maintenance compared to my friends.
But most importantly, be ready to love someone more than yourself and appreciate your parents much more. Your life will change and it won’t be the same again.
Have fun and good luck 😄😄
Sleep all you can
One thing I learned is babies aren't that fragile. Don't fret over every little thing or if something minor goes wrong (it will).
One other thing is prepare to feel incredible emotions from the news, movies, TV when something bad happens to another kid. I think how horrible it would be for the parents and then I go hug my kids.
Train yourself on how to sleep in two hour increments.
Enjoy every minute, even the sleepless nights. I'd do it all over again if my wife would, too.
D2 just reminded me: If you can arrange it, put an adult bed in the baby's room. That way, one of you can get a full night's sleep in your room while the other rests in the baby's room. No point in both of you being useless due to lack of sleep.
Our baby room was a former guest room so it already has a queen bed in it. We added the crib. When my wife was on leave, she took work nights and I covered weekends. When she went back to work, we alternated nights.
Don’t be afraid to do things outside of the house. We left the house every day and look back at that time so fondly with sit down lunches and daily activities. My wife had complications giving birth so she had a walker, physical therapy appts and a Handicap car pass so we made the most of it with preferred parking. We would have gone crazy if we stayed home given our circumstances. Think of the first three months as really the fourth trimester.
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Sleep training so they don’t sleep in your bed. Never allow them in your bed.
Learn how to tip toe around your house. Find out which parts of the floor creak and learn the quietest routes. And also learn how to toss and turn in bed while making minimal noise because baby will be sleeping in a bassinet right next to you for the next few months, and any noise that wakes him/her up will just mean a minimum of 20 minutes of rocking and shooshing for you.
This might sound weird, but no one says yet everyone I talk to agrees.
Be ready to have times when you are angry with your child and just in general have a hard time feeling connected. Especially as a dad but my wife agreed. Our first child was tough and it took some time before it really felt like parenting.
It changes everything. Really everything. People say getting married changes things. No, having kids changes things. I could go on and on........
I agree with M2. Man, those early months, there were some times where I just wanted to walk out and pretend it never happened. Talked to a few friends who also have kids about it, and turns out that it’s completely normal to feel that way from time to time. There will definitely be so VERY challenging moments that truly test your patience. Just remember, it’s a baby, and it’s crying because it doesn’t know wtf is happening because this is all brand new. Give it time.
Babies can be hilarious when used like a puppet with the appropriate background music.
I actually love sleeping with my kid. I think most mammals co-sleep for a good reason.
Also, everyone is unique including your baby. All the advice you get may not be applicable. And trust your wife's instincts, your instincts probably suck but hers will be mostly on point
D2 - That’s me for sure
Pick the advice you listen to. Every idiot has an opinion - doesn’t mean it’s the right thing for you.
Having said that the one thing I would absolutely do is get a baby carrier. We had my son in one starting from 6 weeks and walking with him in it is one of my fondest memories of the early days
EY3, good point on the advice. Everyone will be offering you unsolicited advice that you should feel free to ignore. Your and your SO's parenting style is your choice and you should do what you think is best. Lot of (imo) bad advice out there.
Are you taking leave? Be patient with your wife. Lot of emotions and hormones and changes on top of a lot of physical recovery
Build some strength in your upper back and arm muscles to hold and sway to put baby to sleep. Telling from personal experience.
Also, now that I have a second, I realize how easy it is to go out and enjoy myself with my kids. We were so worried about going out with our first. Do it.. go to dinner.. so they cry a bit. So they have to be fed a bit a public. No big deal.
Learn the 5 S's and be the baby whisperer.
If you can, have a manager who also has kids and understands family emergencies.