Becoming a new parent can be incredibly scary for many people. When a couple embarks on the journey towards parenthood, we try our bests to become as well versed as possible and learn all the ins and outs of being a mom or a dad.
But, as the story goes, nothing can truly prepare you for being a parent until you actually become one. Being a parent is something that takes hands-on experience and hands-on lessons . No book can really help prepare you for what is to come.
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They say that the best teacher in life is experience.
Becoming a parent may seem like you can read a few books and figure it out, but, in reality, you can really only learn from experience.
You never know what you’re going to do in a situation until you actually do it or have to face it. Sometimes, you can also learn from other people and other parents who have gone through it before.
One new dad recently asked Reddit for some advice.
Reddit user u/Nytfire333 opened up on the community website sharing that his wife had just given birth to their first daughter, and had a C-section.
Not only that but she also got diagnosed with Preeclampsia. The baby and his wife are both doing well, although the baby is in the NICU for observation for a few days.
The husband said that the doctors gave them some advice.
Now that his wife is in recovery from her C-section and also with a new diagnosis to handle, the husband wanted to know if there was anything he needed to know that the doctor didn’t tell them about.
While the doctor gave them some advice, he wanted to know if there was anything else that parents or other wives who have had the same situation can share with him to “make his life easier.”
One Reddit user said to keep a rigid schedule for pain killers.
c-is-for-suspension shared that staying on top of the Tylenol and Motrin schedule is important because if you miss a dose, it can be really rough and you could end up being in immense pain.
They also said that numbness may last a while.
Sleep when the baby sleeps.
kaladinstillstressed said that the one thing you should do is sleep whenever your baby sleeps. You only get so many hours in the day where your baby will nap for an extended period of time.
If you have the time to rest, take it. They don’t always sleep through the night, so napping is important for you, too.
Her scar may be a “sore spot.”
“She will be self-conscious of her scar. Support her. Granny panties are better than the mesh panties they give u at the hospital. Once she starts losing weight everything rubs against her scar/ wound. Area between scar and belly button could be numb and that is a weird scary sensation for a few weeks,” Muadrob .
She may feel “some type of way” about her C-Section.
Zuchm0 said that some mothers “feel some type of way” about having a C-Section over vaginal birth. Sometimes, women feel they are “robbed” of the experience of having a vaginal birth and some other women may say things to her about it, as well.
Take on the role of doing things around the house.
“It might be obvious but do other things around the house before you are asked. Just regular small stuff like cleaning and laundry. Also, and maybe more importantly, make sure you and your wife are taking care of yourselves as well,” said Rolling_Beardo .
Give her some extra TLC.
Plkjhgfdsa said that you should give your wife some extra TLC. Going through birth is a traumatic experience and now she is recovering from surgery on top of it. So, giving her a little more love and attention doesn’t hurt. In fact, it can only help.
Let her move, slightly.
ThugBunnyy said that while the doctors say not to move much and to be taking it “easy,” mobility is important to healing.
If she doesn’t move much, it will make her mobility harder down the road. Make sure that you help her out as much as you can and support her all the way.
