Use a blow dryer to warm the baby while you are changing and dry their butt to avoid diaper rash. Also a great way to make them cozy for sleep. Be careful and use a low setting!

Ibprofin will get you through teething. The kid doesn’t have to suffer.

Don’t try to leave your house in complete silence to avoid waking the baby. Make normal noise and train the baby to be able to sleep through that.

Also, never give in to a tantrum (note that this one you’re a few years away from, since I’m not talking about baby crying). Even if you realize partway through that you’re wrong. Talk it out after they’ve calmed down. You can even tell them that you realized you were wrong but that you’ll never give in to a tantrum like that because that’s not how you handle not liking something. Once they learn tantrums are only a path to defeat, they’ll adjust their methods.

Musical instruments, not toys that play random sounds, but actual music. My brother love them and my mother is a music teacher for children (and she’s usually the favourite teacher). And you don’t have to buy many, you can test with one and then buy more if you think they’d like it

Your partner went through all of the gestation and labor herself; the least you can do is be the person who changes the diapers.

Men don’t always immediately bond with their newborn progeny. It’s ok, don’t feel guilty if you’re not head-over-heels in love with your baby for the first year or two.

If you’re ever feeling frustrated caring for your newborn, take a break. They will be fine if you leave them crying in their crib so that you can take a walk or do whatever you need to decompress and compose yourself.

Most pacifiers have bottle nipple mates. If your baby prefers one specific bottle or pacifier, buy the mate.

Most importantly, sleep deprivation and stress can cause significant mental health issues, specifically anxiety and depression. Your feelings are valid. If you’re having a hard time, ask for help.

If you have multiple floors in your house set up somewhere to have diapers and change the baby on both floors. Especially for the first few months.

Start sleep training and establishing a schedule early, in the second or third week. It will help immensely as the schedule solidifies. Also make sure you let your baby go to sleep by themselves at least occasionally.

The overlap between training pets and babies is significant. The same is true with toys for kids and pets. I’m not saying buy dog toys for your kid, but be prepared that any laying around may become the most interesting thing in the world.

Buy an exercise ball and a foam roller.

Don’t make rules that punish you. Example, the parents and kid aren’t leaving the table until the kid eats their veggies.

Don’t do it.

You won’t smell of milk all the time, so it is easier for you to put the baby to sleep. Try memorizing like 10 songs that you like and will be able to sing over and over again. The baby will figure out, that it is time to sleep when you sing these.

Learn how to exercise/strach baby. You don’t want to do this with a newborn. But there won’t be a lot of time after birth to look this up. Be gentile. It’s good for the baby and makes them fart and shit, easing stomach pain.

Look up baby first aid videos just in case. It is very different than adult first aid.

Not for immediate use but front/backpack carriers. Make sure they’re cleared to do it and front carrier for the youngest.

This helped both my sanity and my wife’s the most - throw them in the front/backpack and take them for a walk. Get you out of the house, get your wife a break, get the kid some air and some daddy bonding time. Depending on kid, the walk can also calm them

And don’t be afraid to sing. Even in front of people. Make up new lyrics to your favorite song. Mine was “Godzilla”: I refined the lyrics as we walked around the neighborhood and now that my first is in college that’s one of my fondest memories

Amazing advice here! Getting a yoga ball was a life saver for our baby so I highly recommend having one handy if yours is hard to settle. Before baby comes try to talk about your routine and expectations. If your partner used to be the primary cook she won’t be able to for a while. Figuring things out now will be easier in the long run.

Fisher price glow and grow was a great early purchase for when he was doing tummy time and other exercises. He still uses it at 15 months!

Others have talked about getting earplugs and they’re right. Even if you’re not sensitive to sounds now you will be when you have only slept 5 hours in two days. Earplugs or go with headphones/earbuds so you can listen to music.

Sleep will be crucial for survival. Taking shifts helps some folks but try to see what works for you. If your partner is breastfeeding it will be very hard for her to sleep at times. Especially if baby decides to cluster feed.

Remember to take a deep breath sometimes and depending on what your relationship looks like make sure to spend quality time whenever you can with your partner. Even if it’s a long hug or just crying out your frustration.

Best of luck!

Newborns love pubs. Or anywhere with that kind of hubub really.

Talk about feeding plans in advance. I talked my wife into pumping and saving up some breast milk in the freezer. That way I could feed the baby when she didn’t feel up to it. Not a big deal if you’re doing formula.

Don’t be afraid to take the baby for some dad time. Mom may or may not be good at expressing when she needs a break. Our middle child would cry whenever mom wasn’t holding her, making it hard for Mom to get any rest. But, I figured out she liked low, constant sounds. I would take her out in the garage, turn on my big shop fan, and just walk around while holding her. She would finally doze off after a bit.

One of the most important things I learned was that it’s ok to not know how to feel at first. Women have hormones that help them bond with a newborn. That’s what keeps them from chucking the baby they just evicted from their body out the window or leaving it for the wolves.

Men don’t have that advantage. My wife was getting all excited about being pregnant and I’m just like, “Oh. Cool. I’m gonna be a father. Great. I guess.” I didn’t really feel anything except maybe a little fear of the unknown. I knew our life was going to different but I wasn’t sure exactly how. Then this little person arrives and they are simultaneously adorable and the worst houseguest you can possibly imagine. They can’t talk so they just cry and whatever they want, they want it now.

I honestly felt miserable. That changed one day when my daughter was a couple months old. I was carrying her to her crib for a nap when she nuzzled her little head into my shoulder and went right to sleep. I realized right then that my little girl knew who was holding her and she felt safe. That was a very special moment for me. One I hope I always remember. Right from that moment I was hooked.

Your experience may be different. Just know that if it doesn’t feel all warm and fuzzy at first, that’s ok.

Edit: Congratulations BTW!

Best advice I can think of: learn to breathe.

Theres a lot of joy in having a baby but also a lot of stress on reduced sleep. Learning to acknowledge when you’re getting frustrated and take a minute will make everything so very much easier.

Also buy a diaper genie.