A Note to New Dads

Being a brand new mom, I’ve received a lot of attention from friends and family over the past few months. Questions about how am I feeling easily roll off people’s tongues. It is so nice to be cared for in that way by loved ones. They realize how tough it is and so kindly want to make sure us new moms are doing ok.

But today, this first Father’s Day for so many (and especially for my better half), I wanted to put the spotlight on all the new dads out there and say thank you for all the big and small things they do for us new moms. Because it’s a lot.

Thank you, new dad, for attending most if not ALL of our prenatal appointments. For all the days you took off work so you could drive us and hold our hands during the ultrasounds. Thank you for taking copious notes of everything the OB said so we could just listen. Thank you for calming our nerves – repeatedly – of any concerns that were brought up during the appointments.

Thank you, new dad, for taking childbirth and baby care classes with us so we could feel more prepared. We know they can be lengthy and cheesy at times, but you did it all without complaining.

Thank you, new dad, for installing the car seat, building the crib, painting the nursery and doing everything else around the house that we insisted needed to be done before the baby arrived.

Thank you, new dad, for being such a supportive coach during labor and delivery. Thanks for speeding to get us to the hospital, talking us through contractions, rubbing our backs and reminding us that it would all be worth it.

Thank you, new dad, for sleeping on that terribly uncomfortable couch in the hospital room for as many days as you needed to. Thank you for waiting on us in the hospital when we were too sore and exhausted to get up.

Thank you, new dad, for getting the baby’s social security paperwork submitted, for getting the baby’s health insurance set up and for scheduling that first pediatrician appointment.

Thank you, new dad, for supporting us during those first days and weeks of nursing, regardless of how well it was going, and for ultimately supporting whatever decisions we made about it. Thank you for massaging our shoulders, for helping us get the mountain of pillows set up and for refilling our glass of water one hundred times.

Thank you, new dad, for reminding us to go take a nap. For taking the crying baby when we needed a moment to recollect ourselves and for getting up in the middle of the night. We realize you were getting close to zero sleep, too.

Thank you, new dad, for still waking up to help with feedings even after you went back to work. Thank you for being so present when you come home each day and for spending every minute of the evening focusing on the two of us.

Thank you, new dad, for the grace you showed us when we were overly emotional and irritable in those early sleep-deprived days. For not expecting too much to be done around the house during maternity leave and for allowing us to just have this time with our baby.

Most importantly, thank you for loving our baby as much as we do. We know you’ve been working hard too, and we are so very thankful.