A few days ago, a new dad to be asked me what he could do to help his wife once the baby comes and he goes back to work. Here are my thoughts:
- When you get home, hold the baby. Don’t take 20 minutes to change your clothes, get a soda, or whatever else. She has been watching the clock for the last 3 hours, waiting for you to get home, so don’t delay.
- Offer to make dinner. Give her the option. She may prefer that you hold the baby while she cooks, but if the baby is sleeping or happy, cook dinner. Oh, and LET HER EAT FIRST. She has had all her meals while holding a baby, give her a break. You can eat later.
- Make sure to notice any house work that she did. Anything done while caring for a newborn is a miracle.
- Compliment her. Say she looks nice, whatever.
- Ask how her day was, both having to do with the baby, and herself. This is really important. While pregnant, women get asked constantly how she feels etc. Suddenly, a week after the baby is born, no one asks anymore. All questions are about the baby. To some women this is a let down. Make sure to ask about HER. How she is feeling, physically, mentally, and emotionally. Oh, and make sure to listen!
- Make sure she has time to take a shower. This will help her feel better, more awake, and more relaxed. Sometimes new moms go days without a shower because its no longer the priority. Take the lead and make sure she gets a shower.
- Massage something.
- Clean something. Seriously.
This may seem like a long list, but all steps are vital to having a happy mommy, and thus, happy daddy.
