How to Survive the First 30 Days of Fatherhood

You've been expecting these days for months. You've made all of the preparations and you've even lost sleep because you're so excited for your infant's birth. But now it's born and you're asking yourself, "What do I do now?" That's because the first 30 days of fatherhood is often a month filled with wonderment, emotions and tons of questions. Luckily, millions of fathers have experienced the same thing and they have survived unscathed. Following are some ways to survive your first month of fatherhood and come through the experience with a better understanding of your child and yourself.

1. Use the time as a learning experience. During your first 30 days as a father, you're going to learn so many things. From changing a diaper to putting your baby down to sleep for the night, you're going to learn about an infant's needs. You'll also develop techniques for holding your baby comfortably and communicating effectively. At the same time, you're going to learn about your tolerance and patience levels as well as your relationship with your wife.
   
   
2. Don't expect to know everything. It might be emasculating to admit that you don't know all the answers, but you're going to have more questions during your first 30 days as a father than you've ever had before. Fortunately, there's nothing wrong with that. Nobody has all the answers when it comes to raising kids or even caring for infants. Allow yourself to not know all the answers so you can learn along the way. The important thing is to be willing to learn. It'll be a much better experience if you approach it in that way.
   
   
3. Bond with the baby. During these first few weeks, take as much time to spend with the new infant as you can. You'll be surprised how fast time flies during their younger years. This is even truer during the first few weeks of their life. Don't be afraid to hold your baby every chance you get and feed it whenever mom gets tired. As they get older, you'll cherish the time you spent with them during their first few weeks of life.
   
   
4. Pay attention to Mommy. Moms have the unenviable task of giving birth the infants and carrying it for nine months beforehand. But then afterwards, they also go through a bunch of emotional, physical and mental changes. Each woman has different levels of this happen to them, but they typically experience this at some levels. So it's not only your job to bond and take of the infant, but pay attention to the mother's need as well. Don't take her moodiness or irritability personally. It's just her body adjusting to the changing hormones. It could be difficult at times, but it's the price we pay for not being the one that has to experience childbirth firsthand.
   
   
5. Talk to other fathers. One of the best ways to feel more comfortable during your first month as a father is to talk with other fathers who have recently had the same experience. If you have family members or friends who recently became dads, talk to them about the things you might have questions about. There's about a 99.9 percent chance that they've experienced the same exact thing you're concerned about. If you don't know any new fathers, look for discussion groups online or in your area to connect with other new fathers and share your experiences together.
   
   
6. Take care of yourself. Be sure you eat right and get as much rest as you can. You've got two people depending on you so you need to keep your strength up and keep a level head. Keep company visits to a minimum during this time so you and the mom have the time and energy to bond with the newborn together.

Being a new father will likely be one of the single greatest experiences of your life. But regardless of how much you prepare for the day of birth beforehand, you can never know what to expect when the actual day arrives. But knowing that fatherhood is a natural experience and that there are things you can do to make it less intimidating can help you survive the first 30 days of fatherhood and beyond.

Check out our post especially for new dads.