I used to live a carefree life,
going out whenever I wanted to, determining my own schedule, partying until the
last hours of the night and sleeping late on weekends. I thought that I would
always enjoy myself this way, until, a 6 pound baby changed it all.
Here are some of the things I
wish I knew before I had a baby:
Sleeping
Too bad we can’t “save” sleeping
time for later times in life. I wish I could have a “sleeping” bank account
were I could deposit some sleeping hours before I had the baby so that I would
be able to cash them now when I am a father. I no longer control my sleeping
habits – my baby does.
Feeding
Time
How much time does it take to
feed a baby anyway? If you asked me before I had kids, I would have told you
that for me, downing 4oz of milk takes about 30 seconds, so compensating for
lack of coordination and throwing some extra time in there, babies should
guzzle the same quantity in about 5 minutes; 8 minutes – max.
Surprisingly enough, this is not
the case. It is not only the feeding, it is also the burping, the diaper
changing, the clothes changing and more which takes at least 45 minutes.
Emotional
Bond
In movies and TV shows they
always show how the dad, at the end of the delivery, runs to his new born, all
smiles and tears, hugging and kissing his newborn and showering him with love.
Did not work for me. I was there at the delivery room and saw my son coming
out.
In an instant, I became a dad
with no proper preparation. My wife had 9 months to bond with the baby and me?
One minute I am a carefree man and the next I am responsible for this little
bundle of love.
Baby
Name
Choosing the name is difficult
enough. The wife goes this way, the husband that way and don’t forget to throw
into the mix the relatives with their suggestions. Finally, you decide on a
name. Now you need to call your baby by his name. How strange is that? You have
someone new in your life who you decided their name for and now you need to get
used to calling him by that name – for life.
Responsibility
I always knew that having a baby
carries a lot of responsibility. I knew it, but never had to deal with it.
Changing
My Name
Until my baby was born, I was
known to everyone as Mr. Levin, now that he came along, he changed that as well
without saying even one word. In an instance I am now ‘Dad’. I guess I need to
get comfortable being called for in this way and not turn my head around
looking for my dad.
Time
Pressure
With a baby at home, it seems
that 24 hours a day are simply not enough. It seems that I am in a constant
race to catch some breath and get some “alone time.” In order to free some
time, I have become increasingly efficient when it comes to completing my
tasks. I can prepare the baby’s food, answer an email and change a diaper more
quickly to shave a few more minutes here and there.
Relationship
My wife and I barely get to speak
any more. I feel like I am on a tight shift and using the “hot bed” method. My
wife and I are hardly ever in the same room at the same time. If she is with
the baby, I do the shopping, if I feed the baby, she arranges the house.
Having a baby is one of the best
thing that can happen to a man. Prepare
yourself mentally as much as you can and you’ll at least be a few steps ahead
of where I was. |
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