Dads Guide to Babys First Year For Dummies

Understand what your baby is telling you Help your partner through pregnancy, birth, and beyond Connect with your child to help them grow and develop

Be the best dad ever

Welcome to the wonderful world of dadhood! It′s an exciting time, but it can also be a bit scary. Luckily, everything you need to succeed as a sound protector, caregiver, and Mr. Mom to your bundle of joy is covered inside. Being a dad is an adventure and this book will help make it the best one possible.

Inside

Baby proof your home Choose diapers and creams Grasp newborn care tasks Plan for the baby′s needs Be a stay–at–home dad Pass on great lessons Connect with your child Help your kid develop Ask for help when needed Look at education options

Introduction 1

Part 1: From Here to Paternity: Conception to Birth 5

CHAPTER 1: Fatherhood 7

CHAPTER 2: Getting Pregnant 27

CHAPTER 3: Pregnancy: A Drama in Three Acts 41

CHAPTER 4: Preparing for a Baby in the House 61

CHAPTER 5: It s Showtime! Birth 89

Part 2: The First Year 109

CHAPTER 6: Being Dad to a Newborn 111

CHAPTER 7: The First Three Months 137

CHAPTER 8: Months Three to Six 161

CHAPTER 9: Months Six to Twelve 183

Part 3: The Toddler Years 207

CHAPTER 10: Toddling Toward Two: Months 12 24 209

CHAPTER 11: Charging Toward Three: Months 24 36 233

CHAPTER 12: Adding to Your Family 251

Part 4: The Preschool Years 263

CHAPTER 13: Fun and Games 265

CHAPTER 14: Health and Nutrition 281

CHAPTER 15: Getting an Education 305

Part 5: What Happens When 319

CHAPTER 16: Being a Stay–at–Home Dad 321

CHAPTER 17: Serious Illness and Losing Your Baby 331

CHAPTER 18: Disabilities, Disorders, and Special Conditions 349

CHAPTER 19: Separation and Divorce 363

Part 6: The Part of Tens 389

CHAPTER 20: Ten Ways to Improve Your Partner s Pregnancy Experience 391

CHAPTER 21: Ten Ways to Bond with Your Newborn Baby 397

CHAPTER 22: Ten Ways to Engage with a Toddler 403

Part 7: Appendixes 409

APPENDIX A: Resources for Dads 411

APPENDIX B: Glossary 417

Index 431

Sharon Perkins, RN, has been a registered nurse, mostly in maternal–child health, for 30 years, a mother to five children for much longer, and a grandmother of three for the 14 best years of her life.

Stefan Korn is a father and New Zealand–based Internet entrepreneur.

Scott Lancaster looked after his daughter full–time for the first two years of her life and experienced being a stay–at–home dad (SAHD).