Well, following on from this thread ( in which you all made me feel a lot younger )

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/any-older-dads

Baby number 1 is now a couple of days over its ‘due’ date. God knows how it came around so fast!!!

I think its fair to say that we are both a little apprehensive about what’s to come (particularly my wife with it being our first ) but we are now ready and waiting for something to happen.

Bags are packed and ready to go. Red bull, cycling+ and M&M’s being the main feature of mine 🙂
Any advice / tips appreciated.
Wish us luck !

They’re pretty tedious for the first few months. Women love the tiny baby stage but most dads probably won’t really start to enjoy it until the kid starts to interact.

Stay up the head end

They’re pretty tedious for the first few months. Women love the tiny baby stage but most dads probably won’t really start to enjoy it until the kid starts to interact.

I disagree. Babies are awesome.

Nah I agree babies are pretty poor in the fun department – I mean come on, when you get excited with a smile things must be pretty dire up until then eh?

🙂

take an ipod with battery powered speakers.
take a large flask with coffee.
take some sort of microwaveable food, most maternity units will have a microwave.
take more clothes & nappies for baby than you’ll think he/she’ll need, if wifey has to have an emergency c sec she won’t get to go home next day.
Good luck. 😀

Ohh coffee flask … Good idea … That should keep me out of the hospital Costa for an hour 🙂

Don’t look at the view south of the border.
Get as much rest now as you possibly can.
Nothing will prepare you for what is coming..
Buy a decent camera now as they change so fast and you ‘ll be too tired to remember half of it.

They’re pretty tedious for the first few months. Women love the tiny baby stage but most dads probably won’t really start to enjoy it until the kid starts to interact.

This is even more true for the second one when you know how much more fun they are when they’re a bit older. No 2 is 3 weeks old now and she is lovely but for the amount of effort you put in you really don’t get much back. Doesn’t take too long though before they’re brilliant fun 🙂

Tip in the event of a hydrolic poo mid nappy change take the hit it is easier to shower yourself and wash your clothes than clean the far wall carpet and everything else in range. Hydorolic poos are normal for babies and not a sign of illness
Tip 2 your wife will not allow you to gaffer tape your baby to a skateboard to explore the potential of hydrolic poos.

Buy some more baby grows.

Birth is very personal and unique so tips are irrelevant I wish I had taken a camping mat but ours was a mamouth labour. The nhs are worth every penny of tax.

Relax.
It won’t be long before you’re waiting for him/her to come in from the pub. 😉

Not much more to suggest but it’s a stressful time for all concerned so try and remain calm when even inside your innerWTF is going off.
It’s a journey and i try and remind myself that while i don’t know what I am doing there are lots of others in the same boat. Saying that, i rode home from work in a hail storm the other night, freezing and grumpy, walked in to my little girl who smiled at me, beamed actually and said DADDY!. Well it got a bit dusty and everything was back in perspective.

loddrik – Member
They’re pretty tedious for the first few months. Women love the tiny baby stage but most dads probably won’t really start to enjoy it until the kid starts to interact.

perfectly summed up for me….. my son is 16 months old now and what beast of a lad he is… everyday there’s something new and different to enjoy, it’s been like that for a good while now too..

She’s about to go through hell. Be everything you can for her. I came close to breaking when invited to see the babies head and was ambushed by a turd! It’s hard mate, like watching your favourite pub burn down. Sorry. But 14 weeks on, never been happier it’s worth every second!!!

Stay up the head end

Sage advice indeed. Certainly something I adhered to on both occasions!!!

Sleep as much as can now! SLEEP! NOW!!
Take some toiletries for yourself too (you’ll’ want to at least appear human in any newborn pics) as well as snacks/food/ water for you both.
Plenty of money and change- depending on the hospitals parking policy it can be a pita.
As above, do not wander downtown. There be dragons and other stuff you might not want burned onto your retinas..

Food, stuff to read, music, food and money (to buy more food when you eat all yours)

The stay up the head end advice is good, my first was a C section and they accidentaly knocked over the “curtain” in the middle so I saw the huge whole they had sliced through my missus, although I can literally say I know her inside and out now.

2nd time I foolishly looked down below when the midwife said you could see the head…

Thankfully I was so traumatised by the whole incident that I have absolutely no recollection of what I saw as my subconscious seems to have forced me to forget.

Stox, any action yet?

Yes… Waters broke at 9.30 last night at home ! Kept my wife in Hospital overnight and kicked me out at 1am.
Heading back there shortly.
It’s going to be an ‘interesting’ day ! 🙂

Cool. Have fun, nothing else quite like it!

Hope all is well Stox…….

Good luck!

How’s it going?

Oh man loved the first few months, little one kipping lying on my chest. When he was first born my wife was too knackered so I did the skin to skin thing and he loves lying on me ever since. 2.5 years old now and wife is half way through baking number two (a wee girl). I can’t fricking wait you must be so excited!!! Best of luck fella (and all the best you your missus!)

Sits waiting with anticipation at next STW member, any news?

All the best for the big day, & can I have first dibs on the cycling stuff you’ll not have time to use……

Oh man loved the first few months,

Are you mad? A little over three weeks in with no 2 here and we’re wrecked. At night she’s awake grunting for hours with wind, is insatiably hungry but takes ages to feed, and has a bit of reflux so is also sick a lot and needs changes of clothes and bedding. So getting an hour or two’s kip a night max. Then during the day I have to work and mrs blobby has to look after an energetic toddler and a baby, so no chance to recover. I really can’t wait for the first few months to be over and would happily fast forward 6 months! (Having said that I think I did enjoy the first few months with no 1, maybe it’s a second kid thing.)

So stox, how did it go? Is he/she out yet?

Sorry people … Didn’t check yesterday or I’d have updated!!

Little Annabelle came along on Wednesday night weighing in at 6lbs 13oz … Mother and daughter doing fine.
First baby… it’s feeling magical . Taking them home today.

Thank you all for yr words of wisdom, it’s appreciated …

Ok ok , have a picture if yu must 🙂

Cool, congratulations to you and mrs stox 🙂 You are in for some fun there!

awesome mate, nice one!

She is beautiful. Congratulations to you and your missus

Awwww! The work (for you too) starts now!
All the best to you all.

Congratulations! Our daughter born two weeks ago was the same weight but has already put on 8oz.

I get the impression your admission was slightly different ours. My wife’s contractions were 2 minutes apart but was told to stay at home for a few hours more. Thankfully we ignored this.

I get the impression your admission was slightly different ours. My wife’s contractions were 2 minutes apart but was told to stay at home for a few hours more. Thankfully we ignored this.

Yes, they kept my wife in once waters had broke because the baby was sitting a little high. She was booked to get induced 24hrs after her waters broke but we got a room on the delivery suite at 5pm and they started to induce at 6pm. Then it all happened far quicker than anybody expected (including the midwife) … So quick in fact my wife went into the delivery room at 10:45 and Annabelle was out at 11.01. The wife didn’t have time for any gas/air or painkillers.

I was impressed that’s all I can say. Total admiration for her.

Anyway, I’m waffling! Got them home tonight and it’s lovely 🙂

Good work Stox clan! Enjoy!

Congratulations.

Beautiful baby you have there, also beautiful name 🙂