Baby Tips For New Fathers

Reading article "Baby Tips For New Fathers" - Reply to this / 14 comment(s)
This is quite a comprehensive list of things for new fathers to expect when it comes to parenthood, mostly practical too:

"PJ's are a waste of time.

Infants are surprisingly portable. Don't be afraid to travel.

Try to enjoy each age of your child's life.

Learn good lifting technique. Your back is the first thing that will go. A squirming 10 pound baby is harder on your back than a 25 pound toddler who knows how to keep its balance.

If this is your first child, there is no way you can fully prepare yourself for what is about to happen. Try to relax, get some rest and don't panic."

http://world.std.com/~reinhold/babytips.html 

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1. washing dirty nappies by jules, 486 days ago

   Can you comment on washing dirty nappies, just curious to know.

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   1. Re: washing dirty nappies by suttree, 486 days ago

      It's no so bad. It's true that the teethig nappies are the worst, but using washable nappies isn't so bad. We keep a nappy bucket in the shower and use tea tree oil to keep it smelling fresh. The nappies get washed twice a week and that's the only time when you need a clothes peg on your nose.
      
      I'm glad we've done it this way. the only real downside is that they're so bulky, our son can often look a bit 'padded', but it does come in handy when he falls over! We use bio-degradable disposables overnight though, because they last the whole night.

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2. the debate by jules, 485 days ago

   when i was deciding between reusables and disposable nappies there was this article about which was greener.
   
   disposables- thinner,less waste than previous years but still adds to mounting waste for landfills plus the plastic.
   
   reusables- need to bleach (bad for water treatment), and wash at a very high temperature to kill off bugs ?over 60 degrees c.
   
   Which was better for the environment, increasing landfills and waste or global warming.
   
   It made me feel less guilty for using disposables.
   
   Now thinking back, the amount of waste caused by disposables makes me wish i used reusables.
   
   There r alot of products for people to choose from (i discovered recently)!

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   1. Re: the debate by ecosrights, 484 days ago

      Even how to use real nappies has changed over the years - you're no longer advised to wash them at 60 degrees (I do if they are really nasty or once a month or so just to play safe) and there's certainly no need for bleach - tea tree or lavender are mild discinfectants, so they do the trick without causing harm (and smell better).
      
      The trick is finding the best combination for you of outers and inners (or combined) we went for prefolds and separate velco outers (make sure they've got "collars" to reduce leakage - cotton bottom wraps don't and the mess from little babies can be horrible. We ended up with bambino mio). They all dry in 24 hours, so you get into a good, realisitic routine no problem.
      

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   2. Re: the debate by Green Diva, 468 days ago

      I wrestled with this as well. My problem is tht I had twins! No way could I take care of two babies at once and do all the washing of diapers!

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3. hmm by Frantic, 481 days ago

   I find that fathers have a harder time adjusting to things like dirty diapers compared to the mother!
   
   Wow, all this diaper washing is complicated!
   I think I would prefer disposables..

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   1. Re: hmm by suttree, 480 days ago

      Honestly, it's not complicated, *once* it becomes part of your routine. It can be unpleasant but if you're going to have kids you've got to expect the unpleasant :)

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4. yukky disposables by jules, 479 days ago

   i didn't find alot of information regarding reusable nappies in baby magazines eg mother and baby etc. if i knew about the alternative ways to deal with sterilizing and washing, i would have gave it somemore thought.
   
   Anyway disposable nappies leak poo quite alot so u would still have to deal with some degree of yuk.
   
   And just wait til u train the tots to use the potty/loo!
   
   to tell the truth to wash off poo was one off the put offs with reusables. but you end up doing it anyway.

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   1. Re: yukky disposables by suttree, 478 days ago

      That's a very good point - it's a messy business no matter what nappy you use. You just need to make sure that you've got plenty of soap or hand wash around to stay clean.

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   2. Re: yukky disposables by jane, 471 days ago

      I have to say that it has been brilliant this week - the first nappy free week, so we've not had to wash any and the bucket is empty! Yippeee.... (ok, lots of wet shorts and pants, but there we go).
      
      It's important to say that children in real nappies often potty train earlier than those in disposables, partially because of the comfort. Our son has realised that he's much more mobile without a nappy on - he can climb onto more seats etc (but it does hurt more when he falls down!!!!)

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5. the new father by geline, 478 days ago

   When my husband became a new father, he had a hard time with our first baby, putting him to sleep as the baby always cried. Later on, he was able to get the hang of it and finally was very good in handling babies. It is a father's instinct as it is a mother's instinct to learn how to do things when you face them. Just use common sense and a lot of patience to learn new things. :)

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   1. Re: the new father by suttree, 478 days ago

      It can be tough for Dads - babies can be quite clingy for their Mums and who can blame them? Mother and baby have been together for nine months already, so Dads need a bit of getting used to, and vice versa.

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   2. Re: the new father by jane, 471 days ago

      You're right, in time fathers realise that the children aren't as fragile as they seem to be, and that most of it is just common sense. Having said that, it is much easier for dads as the children get older and don't just eat, sleep and "poo".... once the personalities come out and dad's can make them laugh, that's when the bond really begins and continues as they get older and more like little people to play with.

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6. :) by ninikins, 464 days ago

   Handy site! i know a few people I canpass this on to. thanks.

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