Becoming a dad is an exciting yet nerve-racking experience, even for the most thrilled dad-to-be. Most news dads have little experience with babies, and some have never even held a newborn. Men will naturally feel clueless about how to interact with the new and very tiny baby. An expectant father can learn to cope with and prepare for his new role in life with the help of baby books. Below are nine baby books for dads that should help new dads cope better.
Best Baby Books for Dads
1. The Birth Partner
Author: Penny Simkin
Highlights: The book gives dads-to-be information on what to expect when prepping for labor and the different pain medications available.
The Birth Partner is an informative book for expectant dads as it offers information on what to expect in the delivery room and how to be helpful. There are four main sections, which cover events before birth, the labor and birth, medical information on childbirth, and everyday care after birth. There are helpful illustrations and charts that make it easier for you to understand medical jargon.
2. The Expectant Father
Authors: Armin Brott and Jennifer Ash
Highlights: There are very useful tips on how men can deal with their conflicting emotions during pregnancy.
The Expectant Father gives dads-to-be insight on what they might feel throughout the pregnancy. The book gives details on how the baby is developing and what the mom-to-be is going through. It’s a useful book with monthly chapters that keep you informed on the all-round developments and feelings to expect during different stages of pregnancy. The Expectant Father features personal anecdotes, cartoons, insights, and most importantly, solid information on pregnancy. The portrayal of Brody as a super involved and sensitive partner during pregnancy, however, may be hard for some guys to relate to. Still, it’s a good read.
3. Papadaddy’s Book for New Fathers
Author: Clyde Edgerton
Highlights: The book has a section called “Considerably Older Dad,” which is specially written for dads who get children much later in life, just like the author.
Novelist Clyde Edgerton is known for writing mainly fiction stories, but in this book, he switches to real life with a book for new fathers. The book is inspired by his own life and interactions with his four children. It offers advice on how to prepare for the baby and parenthood in general. Papadaddy’s Book for New Fathers is written in a humorous style and is a wonderful guide for both young and older dads.
4. Dude, You’re Gonna Be a Dad!
Author: John Pfeiffer
Highlights: The book has some good reviews of websites that may be useful to the dad-to-be.
John Pfeiffer is already a father of three, and he begins by offering some been-there, done-that information on trying to conceive and the adjustments you might need to make for the pregnancy to finally happen. He offers plenty of tips on how guys can be actively involved in decision making and offering support to their spouses. Nevertheless, it also greatly stereotypes the man as a clueless and somewhat sex-obsessed being. It would have been good to give men more credit. Still, it is an easy and pleasant read thanks to Pfeiffer’s humorous writing style.
5. What to Expect When Your Wife Is Expanding
Author: Thomas Hill
Highlights: This book goes into detail on what to say and what you shouldn’t say during the different stages of labor.
This is a hilarious book that offers a comical view on what pregnancy is all about. The book has chapters for each month with titles such as “What Your Wife Will Be Complaining About.” There are mini sections as well that give you a list of things you can say to let your partner know that you care. While largely funny, the book still manages to be quite helpful.
6. She’s Having a Baby—and I’m Having a Breakdown
Author: James Douglas Barron
Highlights: The book offers a candid discussion of sex while pregnant. The humorous topics offer good tips as well.
As the title betrays, the book offers a humorous take on pregnancy and the guy’s perspective. The book provides an extensive list on what expectant fathers feel, think, and do, and these are divided into the three trimesters. There are some witty topics covered, such as “10 Thoughts You’ll Have at Least Once a Day” as well as “10 Questions Pregnant Women Will Ask and the Answers They Want To Hear” amongst others.
7. Be Prepared
Authors: Jeannie Hayden and Gary Greenberg
Highlights: The illustrations are a nice touch as they are light-hearted yet offer useful information that a dad with no experience can use.
This is a humorous book that prepares you for the role of a new dad. The authors discuss a wide range of topics, from basic care for the newborn to making the baby laugh, finding the best stroller for your baby, and much more. Also included are silly illustrations that give you step-by-step instructions on how to go about different roles of being a dad. The two authors include humor in the book covering manly topics such as baby proofing the home, changing a diaper during a game, and much more.
8. Don’t Just Stand There
Authors: Elissa Stein and Jon Lichtenstein
Highlights: The narrative style the authors use makes it a fun read. It also has useful tips on what do and say during labor.
This book is mainly focused on the labor and delivery stages. The two authors take on the he say/she say style with their book, which makes it lighthearted to read. A good example is that when Elissa explains that a massage is helpful to a woman on labor, Jon adds that tickling your spouse’s feet is not a good idea.The book is 100 pages long and comes with helpful full-page illustrations that cover various talking points, including basic information on the different stages of labor. It gives good tips on how the dad-to-be can help the mom-to-be during labor and what to pack for hospital.
9. 150 Tips and Tricks for New Dads
Author: Vincent Lannelli
Highlights: Unlike the humorous style of many other baby books, this one is filled with great wisdom and solid guidance on pregnancy.
Vincent Lannelli, the author of the book, also happens to be a pediatrician with great credentials. You can therefore expect that the book will have good advice on various aspects of fatherhood from caring for the baby to feeding the child.