UNION HOSPITAL MATERNITY SERVICES

Going Home: New Fathers

There was a time when Dad's role was that of getting Mom to the hospital and then waiting in the waiting room until the baby was born. Today's fathers are much more involved.

You probably attended childbirth classes and coached your partner during the birth. Now you will want to be more involved in the everyday care of your baby. Except for breast feeding, there is nothing a mother can do for a child that you can't. With a little practice, diapering and bathing your baby will become second nature. You can also feed your baby formula or bottle feed expressed breast milk.

Now that your baby is born, you may have been hoping that your relationship with the baby's mother will get back to normal. You may experience feelings of jealousy and resentment toward your baby because he/she demands so much of her time and energy. This is a normal response to the big changes happening in your relationship. Within a few months you will probably feel more relaxed with your baby. Give yourself and the baby's mother time to adjust. Don't put too much pressure on her or yourself physically or emotionally during this trying period of time.