So, magiging DADDY ka na...

[RetroManila]

I don't know if the daddies do check out this section of PEx.

I've scanned through some pages, pero puro mommy talk. Somehow, I'd like to read something from a dad/future dad's point of view.

Please share your experiences from the very day you learned that your beautiful wife's having a baby.

1. What's to expect?
2. Things you need to work on
3. Changes in the wifey that will require great effort
4. Uhm, bed-life?
5. Etc, etc.

[Dunedain]

Fathers don't usually spill the beans on what to expect. We (yes, I am one) prefer that would-be-fathers should experience the whole ordeal with little or no tutoring.

[tina11]

We have a copy of The Expectant Father... but I read it more than my husband ever did I'll ask him to post here when he has some free time.

[DELISYUS]

actually, fathers should also read WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN YOU'RE EXPECTING... my husband did, but only the e-mailed articles sent to me weekly by the site... so he was still able to keep track of the baby's development, my progress and discuss with me the usual concerns expected at different stages of the pregnancy...

plus, since mine was a difficult one, he had no reason not to be kept abreast of what's happening

oh and he also has a copy of the book SHE'S HAVING A BABY AND I'M HAVING A BREAKDOWN


what to expect?
1) mood swings from the wife
2 changes in the family dynamics
3) adjustments in the family budget
4) expensive hospital bills
5) breastfeeding
6) reduced sex, esply in difficuolt pregnancies
7) post-partum depression from your end

[RetroManila]

Fathers don't usually spill the beans on what to expect. We (yes, I am one) prefer that would-be-fathers should experience the whole ordeal with little or no tutoring.

I noticed. Even father friends of mine are relatively quiet about it. Dumadaldal lang kapag may alak na.

[sweetwahm]

I also read The Expectant Father more than he did He scanned thru the lit and said all he probably needed to know was that pregnancy kicks the mood swings into high gear.

Since he didn't want to be engrossed in reading expecting books, I put up weekly 'what to expect' stuff on our bulletin board for my 2nd pregnancy. Para dun nalang sya magbasa. Tas ang header ko eh 40-week countdown.

[clk]

I'm a single father but hope you don't mind me sharing what I went through and what I saw other fathers went through. This isn't in any order.
1. initial reaction was happiness
2. then realization that things are going to change
3. depression, anger that things HAVE changed (little sex life, wife getting fat, sleepless nights, no more going out with friends, extra expenses, Barney/Sesame street/Hi5 etc are the only programs you watch)
4. thinking they made a mistake and either have affairs, neglect family, annulment, drink a lot, always out with the guys, etc
5. realizing that they have to face the music
6. trying to be happy with what they have
7. realizing what they have is precious
8. realizing all that panic was just an initial reaction to the sudden changes
9. realizing they are blessed

These are not all MY reactions, some are, some are friends of mine. Like I said, just what you will expect.

[RetroManila]

Here's mine so far.

One morning, my wife woke me up. I came from a night job so talagang hilo pa ako nun. She showed me the thing with two lines. Pasitib.

My initial reaction was, "Wow! That's wonderful news, sweetie. Wow!" Napasalamatan ko na ata lahat ng pwede kong pasalamatan, pati mga santo na di ko kilala. Pero dahil talagang bangag pa ako mula sa trabaho at puyat, I guess I wasn't able to absorb much of it.

Then my wife went to an ultrasound clinic. Ayun lumitaw nga sa resulta na meron. A speck. Around 4 weeks. We were apprehensive na baka di matuloy kasi kasisimula pa lang. Di rin kasi ako maalam sa ganyan. At di ko pa nga rin talaga naaabsorb masyado.

Then we went straight to my wife's OB. She said my wife's pregnant as expected. Prescribed a lot of meds, even asked her to read self-help preggy books.

Sa Delgado yung OB ni misis so puro buntis at may anak ang pasyente run.

Dun ko lang ata talaga natanggap na wow, magiging daddy na nga ako.

Ngayon ang dami kong iniisip. More on positive-happy things. Pero natatakot ako na baka may hindi ako magawa to take care of my wife and our baby in her tummy. Syempre, marami nang magbabago.

We just got married and we're still adjusting to our new life together. Tapos eto baby na. Things have been pretty positive so far. Pero this one, the baby on his/her way... Kaka-excite na di ko maexplain.

[sneezy]

Congratulations!
Nakakatuwa ang enthusiasm mo.
Go on frequent dates with your wife. Your date nights will be precious because when the little one arrives, magbabago konti yon habang maliit pa ang baby.

[sweetwahm]

Accompany your wife to all her OB appointments if you can. Your wife will appreciate it, promise! Iba din kasi ang feeling na interesado din ang daddy-to-be sa mga nagnyayari sa katawan mo. There's more to pregnancy than a growing tummy.

The best ang marinig mo ang heartbeat ng baby mo at makita mo ang ultrasound!! I know I'll never forget how hubby looked the first time we heard our son's heart beating at around 10 or 11 weeks.

[AE ng Bayan]

Grabe stress ng being a soon to be dad (especially since this is gonna be my first, after trying so hard). super rollercoaster ride. as in overly overly overly protective.. not that im ranting, pero kayo rin ba ganito?

[RetroManila]

I'm anticipating the mood swings.

My wife's always been moody to start with.

[RetroManila]

Just sharing this.

Iba feeling nang makita ko na may heartbeat na yung baby.

[tina11]

Oh yeah, ultrasounds are surreal. When the monitor lights up, the mom and dad won't be able to tear their eyes away from it kahit siguro mag-fire alarm o lumindol. I remember the very first ultrasound we had, I've never seen my husband smile like that ever. Hehe

[pepperz]

i just wanna share this too. by the way, hindi pala ako daddy,, hehe.. i'm 12wks preggy.. i had my first ultrasound on my 8th week(dun ko lang rin nalaman *** age ni baby) ako lang mag-isa kasi si hubby nasa work, but i didn't have problems with it. laking sisi lang nya nung ikwento kong narinig ko mismo *** heartbeat nung baby. sobrang inggit sya, hehe.. sabi next time sasama na raw ulit sya. ang sarap talaga ng feeling kasi after that sinundo nya ko sa Mega ng taxi... that night, nahulog yung cell ko sa taxi, at asar na asar sya sken at para wala akong pakialam. hehe.. kasi naman, nasa cloud 9 pa si mommy... na-LSS sa heartbeat ni baby. wala ako pke kung anu pa yung nawala.. hehe.. *** kasi makalimutan *** image sa ultrasound and heartbeat
| good thing,,, *** may-ari ng taxi kinontak kami that night.. naisauli naman the next day

[pepperz]

@ retro manila ^^^ buti nde nag-fade *** image sa ultrasound nyo? scanned ba yan? sken kasi nainitan nag-fade ng onti.. brownish na tuloy pero kita pa rin namna image.,

[RetroManila]

^^ I took a photo on the day of my wife had the ultrasound. Sayang nga pati yung prep test. Nagpe fade din pala yung 2 lines.

[yummy_mummy]

^^ I took a photo on the day of my wife had the ultrasound. Sayang nga pati yung prep test. Nagpe fade din pala yung 2 lines.

Yup, nagfafade yun. I suggest you keep it in a white envelope. Yun kasi ang ginawa ko, 2 years old na baby ko, parang kaka test ko pa lang din.

And mahirap magbuntis lalo na pag 1st time. I suggest try to spend more time with your wife, entertain her more.

tsaka wag mo aawayin, hehe. sensitive kasi ang mga buntis

[pepperz]

hihii.. more power to us, pregs..

[manwit]

one of the excited & blessed soon to be daddy here...

hehehe