We have our first due in February, so taking notes 😯

+1 on staying away from mumsnet but mrs Pridds found babycentre interesting and got good support from it. The thing that kept her sane through 6 months of very difficult breast feeding was an iPad. She got it after 2 months and was so much happier.

+1 for the iPad. It’s kept me company for the sleepless nights so far.

Also, better advice on here than Mumsnet or Baby centre!

Echo the “this is the easy bit” comments….

Sorry! 🙂

Enjoy it all though, even though lots of it isn’t particularly enjoyable. It just gets better and better.

Oh and I wouldn’t worry if you don’t feel some “amazing bond” you read about – it takes time…..

Again, enjoy!

My top tip is never be afraid to ask for help or advice. Also be prepared to ignore some of it.

Oh and cherish every moment because they get bigger bloody quick. I barely feel like I have blinked since my first was born and on Thursday he started his second year at school.

You’re lucky as loom bands will hopefully no longer be in fashion when yours gets to the age they can use them.

my youngest is 17. i hate her today. i want to strangle her and bury her in the garden.

you will also get these feelings in the future….. 😀

enjoy it for now.

I still remember leaving the hospital and thinking “wait, they’re actually letting us walk out of the building with a baby?”

I had exactly the same thought!

Child number two was less of a shock, number three slotted in like he was always here.

The only advice I can give is try and relax and enjoy it. I’m convinced it rubs off. I am dad to possibly the happiest 8 month old ever, that’s not a boast; he doesn’t stop smiling/laughing.
it’s ace, I wish I’d done it years ago.

Congratulations, it is very ace isn’t it!?

The advice to take videos is spot on. Photos are great but moving pictures do so much more. We don’t have many from when Kip Jr was very young but those we have are very precious.

All things pass, the good and the not so good, try not to worry too much (in the style of of Baz Luhrman…If you mange this tell me how).

A good friend of mine recommends a Kindle if your missus likes reading. So much easier to read one handed when small child falls asleep on you.

Check out slings, your local area may even have a sling library, these are brilliant and I wish we’d used a better one earlier on.

Enjoy it, it gets better and different all the time.

On my chest is my new baby daughter

Is nobody going to tell him he needs to go and wake his wife up if baby wants a feed??

Congratulations, things will never be the same again (in a good way!)

Enjoy it, babies are the most amazing thing ever. Being a dad is so, so good.

never forget you are the luckiest man alive

(as are all new dads, but that makes you no less special)

As has been said – when something you’re not sure about happens, relax – it will probably be ok and has happened to millions of people before you (again, that makes you no less special).

It’s about the only that you can do which has been done billions of times before but still be different/special

It’s brilliant – take videos when you can, as we were watching a clip of our 8 year old having his baby chub rasperry’d to within an inch of his life to fits of giggles as he was calling his little brother fat. We had not rewatched since number two came along 5 years ago and it had me proper boo’ing thinking about the early days with number one son

It took about 18 months before I stopped regarding our firstborn as a crying machine that prevented me from riding my bike. Then she started developing a personality and I looked forward to letting her stay up late whilst her mum was out, because we’d have such a good laugh together.

Bairn Two was born three months ago, so I’ve another crying machine to deal with, and the arrival of Bairn Two has turned firstborn into a little ballbag, due to her not being the centre of attention any more.

Having spent the entire day with them, I think I’m safe in saying that there hasn’t been a moment where at least one of them hasn’t been making noise; one because she’s a baby, and the other because she’s desperate for attention. It’s driven me close to the edge.

Anyway, if you want my one top tip to survive fatherhood, here it is: Don’t expose them to any Disney-related singalongs. Everything else, the shit, the piss, the spew, the lack of sleep is tolerable; ‘Let It Go’ sung at you thirty times* per day will ruin you.

* – I am not exaggerating.

EDIT – I should point out that I love my children immensely and would readily die in order to protect their well-being.

EDIT EDIT – As long as the eldest stops singing Frozen songs.