Baby, mom, and...especially dad!

Pregnancy is primarily focused on the mother and future baby, but what about the father? Everyone's situation will obviously change, and the father will also feel uncertainty and insecurity regarding the impending future. There are no written rules, but with a little patience and confidence, everything will be fine.

• Make the most of the nine-month pregnancy with your partner in order to adapt to the major change that is on its way. Try to continue doing the same activities as before, but simply adapt them to your partner's condition at all times. For example, what used to be a long walk can now be a short stroll.
• For certain women, pregnancy is a happy and fulfilling experience with little or no discomfort, other than fatigue during the final stage. However, the first three months can be very difficult for other women. You should be understanding and positive, support your partner, and share affectionate and intimate moments with her. You're going to have a baby!
• Talk to other couples and listen to the advice of other parents. This will certainly help you discover situations that are similar to your own.
• Participate in pregnancy decisions and in monitoring the future baby's progress:

• • Check-ups and ultrasound scans (very important events).

• • Selecting the hospital or clinic where your partner will deliver the baby.

• • Selecting decorative elements for the future baby's room.

Keep in mind that while the mother is carrying your future child inside, the baby feels everything that she does. The baby also hears your voice and learns to discern it. This means that if you approach the pregnancy as a positive experience, the baby will perceive this. This will allow you to establish the first bond with your child before he is born because the baby is able to sense your voice and how you caress the future mother's abdomen. 

The father's presence during childbirth is essential and it should not be missed for any reason. If you plan on being present in the delivery room, try to be easily locatable the days before the scheduled delivery date.

Plan for everything that the baby and mother will need (such as the layette), and be patient when the moment finally arrives; labor can last for many hours. You will have to wait stoically since you will have to provide essential support during the delivery. If you become a source of patience and serenity for your partner, you will be able to look back on this event as a happy experience.

 Feeding a baby is a tender and emotional moment involving the mother; it can also include the father, directly or indirectly, but always in an active manner. The affection and effort with which it is done creates very important bonds between parents and their child.

Regardless of whether the baby will be fed breast milk or infant formula, show your support and assistance in every way possible.

-          If the baby is breastfed:

• Support your partner in the nursing process since she may feel insecure in the beginning. 
• Share your affection, presence and physical contact with the mother and baby.

-          If the baby is fed infant formula, you can participate more actively by alternating bottle feedings with the mother. This will help her rest and recover faster.

In both cases, you should tend to your child: change his diapers and also bathe, dress and talk to him, etc. Take care of household chores and of other children you may have in order to help the mother recover and to allow her to care for the newborn.