What's up dads and moms, as well as everyone else reading! We're getting back on track with #DadTalkThursdays and after sharing our birth story to a few people, I wanted to share a few points that every dad, and mom, should know before the birth of their baby. Having a child is one of the biggest changes in life so if there is any way that I can help new parents, I'm here for that! So let's get right to it!



5 Things Every Dad Needs To Know Before Child Birth


1. Getting Out The House Takes A Little Longer Than Usual.

As the baby's development reaches the last few weeks, physical activity will be very minimal, if at all. So getting out of the house will take a little longer whether your significant other is going along or not. Taking care of your wife and making sure she has everything she needs takes a little time. If you're planning on going out with your buddies, make sure you time yourself accordingly. You may want to avoid going out too much the last 2-3 weeks before birth though, as you never really know when the baby is ready to come out!


2. You'll Start Thinking More About The Ones You Love Before Yourself

This may seem like common sense but we as men tend to get carried away every once in a while. 
You start to care a lot more for other people, especially towards those closest to you. There's a stronger feeling of love towards your family and you soon realize that there's no other place you'd rather be. Going away from your family just gets harder and if you do go out, you wouldn't want to be out for too long. There's a special bond that will only get stronger over time.


3. Unless Induced, You Will Never Know The Exact Moment Birth Will Come

I can clearly recall the night my wife woke me up frantically at 2 AM! Our daughter was born a day earlier than what the due date the doctor had given us and we were surprised because we really thought we had one more day left to go. You never know when birth will come so as mentioned above, try to limit the amount of time you spend away from your family those last couple of weeks. The only way you're going to know is when the birth is induced or your wife has a planned C-Section. We thought we were ready and yet we were still caught by surprise. It could happen at any time! Stay ready for the hospital and ask your wife if she has her hospital bag ready! Make sure you always know where it's at because when the time comes she might forget it, and making a trip back home after the baby is born is a lot harder than you might think.



4. Take A Sweater Or Warm Clothes For The Hospital

 The Hospital is always cold. Enough Said. Our birth wasn't a smooth one despite all the efforts of prepping ourselves mentally to have the best delivery. We ended up staying 4 extra days in the hospital due to our daughter being in the NICU. All you can really do is hope the delivery process goes well, and be ready for the worst at the same time. In the case that your wife has an unplanned C-section, you're going to be at there for at least a day or two. So take some comfortable and warm clothes, maybe even a blanket to sleep a little more comfortably on the couch. You can always shower at the hospital too. Making your own hospital bag is probably your best bet! 


5. Birth Can Be Traumatizing But Beautiful

Last but not least, the actual birth. Nothing prepares you for this but it's also one of the most exciting moments of your life! Again, we had a rough delivery and C-section so my experience was not, "normal". But even if it was a smooth delivery, let's just say, the woman's body is amazing. Watching my wife giving birth brought the most overwhelming feeling I have ever felt in my entire life! I wanted to cry, laugh, smile, jump with joy. There's a beauty in the delivery process and even though our story wasn't perfect, I wouldn't have it any other way. Embrace the moment, every second of it. In case you are sensitive, have a chair nearby where you can take a seat if you get light headed. 


 What are some tips you would give expecting dads?