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5 Top Tips for New Dads

We’re well aware that most people reading Toddle About will be mums. However, according to our recent reader survey, more dads are getting in on the act – which is great to see. And we don’t want to leave them out!

So much parenting literature is written by women, for women - and there is nothing wrong with that in itself. In fact, it makes total sense. But the lack of content available from a dad’s perspective, written to help dads, has consequences – and it means everyone misses out. Not only are dads’ own needs often not being supported, but this has a knock-on effect that they can’t be as supportive to the mums as they might otherwise be.

That’s why we’ve invited Gordon Dowall-Potter from MANtenatal to share his top 5 tips for any expecting dad-to-be or birth partner. Everything Gordon and his team do at MANtenatal is through the eyes of a dad and this gives his 5 top tips a refreshing angle.

MANtenatal’s Top Tips for New Dads

  1. You are not your father! – no matter your upbringing, you get to decide on the type of father you want to be.

  2. Becoming a dad is not a spectator sport - one of the key messages we tell all the guys who join our squad is that they must get off the bench and get in the game. Yes, that does mean rolling up your sleeves and getting close to all elements of the birth, pre, during and post. We are great believers that you won’t be a real dad unless you get your baby’s poo under your fingernails 😀.

  3. Read to your baby before they arrive - The power of your voice and the connection it has with your baby cannot be underestimated. No need to wait for baby to arrive, read to bump.

    There is so much research that confirms how this simple act can make a huge impact on how you bond with your baby.

  4. Never wear jeans to hospital – The average temperature in a delivery room is around 28o. This is why dads and birth partners should take clothes that they can relax in. Would you wear jeans to a beach when the temp was 28 degrees?

  5. Tell your partner how amazing they are - Regardless if it’s a vaginal birth or caesarean, what a woman’s body is designed to do is amazing. Not only will they grow life, they have the ability to feed that life too. Women are amazing!

Gordon Dowall-Potter is the owner and founder of MANtenatal, the leading digital platform designed exclusively for dads-to-be and birth partners. Endorsed by the NHS and midwives from across the world, MANtenatal digital courses are designed to be completed from the comfort of your own home. With a choice of Offline Course videos, live Group Courses and Private 1:1 Coaching, you can find out more at www.MANtenatal.com, via Facebook or Instagram or by sending a Whatsapp message to +447768046993.