Dads who play an active role during pregnancy lower moms\u2019 stress levels. And lower stress means a healthier environment for your growing baby. Research shows that dads who are involved during pregnancy are more likely to remain involved once the baby is born\u2014with great results. Kids with dads who are involved in their upbringing tend to do better socially, emotionally, and academically than kids with uninvolved fathers. Research also shows kids with involved dads tend to be more confident.<\/p>\n
{{Before the Baby is Born}}<\/p>\n
{{Talk, read, and sing to your baby-to-be}}. Babies can hear during the second trimester of pregnancy, and recognize voices in the third trimester\u2014including
\nyours!<\/p>\n
{{Attend doctor\u2019s visits as much as you can.}} During Ob\/Gyn checkups, you will be able to see your baby\u2019s growth and development\u2014including his heartbeat. These opportunities to track your baby\u2019s development help you both begin to feel connected to your little one even before his birth day.<\/p>\n
{{Try a class for expectant parents}}. Classes will help you prep for parenting (diaper changing, feeding, keeping baby healthy and safe), as well as cover strategies for how to co-parent with Mom.<\/p>\n
{{Support healthy habits.}} Your encouragement helps mom eat the right foods and avoid smoking and drinking during pregnancy. For example, research shows that your support makes it easier for Mom to begin and continue breastfeeding.<\/p>\n
{{Be there for labor and delivery}}. Both moms and dads naturally worry about the labor and delivery process. Some dads say they worry about doing the wrong thing in the delivery room, seeing their partner in pain, or being left out of important decisions. But they show up in big numbers and most are glad that they did. Moms report that having their partners in the delivery room reduces their anxiety and pain. And many dads find that meeting their baby right after birth is an experience that changes them forever\u2014and helps them bond with their babies from those first seconds.<\/p>\n
{{After the Baby is Born}}<\/p>\n
{{Continue the conversation}}. You\u2019ve been talking, reading, and singing to your baby for months. Now enjoy seeing her responses for the first time!<\/p>\n
{{Figure out how to share responsibility for the baby.}} New dads can do almost everything new moms can do: Change diapers, give baths, share stories, and take your turn walking and soothing when the baby is crying. If your partner is breastfeeding, you can participate by bringing the baby to her, or burping him when he\u2019s done. Sharing these responsibilities right from the start gives you a chance to get to know your baby and builds a strong foundation for your relationship with him.<\/p>\n
{{Pay attention to your baby\u2019s cues}}. Over time, babies develop their own ways of telling you what they need\u2014through a particular cry, look, or movement. By spending time caring for and playing with your baby, you\u2019ll start to decode her cues.<\/p>\n
Today\u2019s dads spend more time caring for their children than their fathers and grandfathers did. They recognize the value of sharing the everyday tasks of raising children\u2014from diapering to discipline. Dads\u2019 choices, and their voices, matter\u2014to them, to moms, and to their kids.<\/p>\n
{{Source: zerotothree.org}}<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
If you\u2019re a pregnant mom, you\u2019re probably getting lots of attention\u2014even occasionally having complete strangers ask personal questions and touch your belly when you\u2019re out and about. But dads-to-be? Far less visible. The truth is that fathers have an important role to play, too\u2014of course after the baby is born, but during pregnancy as well.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[52],"tags":[75],"byline":[2891],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-36774","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-unicef","tag-homenews","byline-kathy-kinsner"],"bylines":[{"id":2891,"name":"Kathy Kinsner","slug":"kathy-kinsner","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":null}],"contributors":[{"id":2891,"name":"Kathy Kinsner","slug":"kathy-kinsner","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":null}],"featured_image":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36774","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36774"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36774\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36774"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36774"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36774"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=36774"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=36774"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}