Table of Contents
Introduction: The Evolving Dude (er, Dad) xi
Part I The First Trimester
Chapter 1 And We're Off 3
When Conception Isn't a Piece of Cake 3
Finding Out 6
When and How Do We Spill the Beans? 10
Time to Talk: Conquering Fears, Being Supportive, and When to Say Nothing 14
Dads Unite! 14
Get Into Bondage-No, Really 20
Chapter 2 Taking Care of Her 25
Handling the Hormones 26
You Versus the Hormones 27
Morning Sickness: Like a Really Long Hangover 27
Chores, Daddy Style 30
Helping Her Appreciate Her New Body (Lovin' the Curves) 31
Managing Weight Gain 33
Pickles and Ice Cream 34
Pregnancy Massage 35
Pregnancy Sex 36
Exercise During Pregnancy 37
Maternity Clothes 38
Chapter 3 Home Away from Home: The Doctor's Office 41
What Kind of Health Professional Does She Want? 42
The Londown on Doctor's Office Visits 45
Which Appointments Do I Attend? 45
Testing 1, 2, 3 48
What Do I Do If Something Goes Wrong? 53
Part 2 The Second Trimester
Chapter 4 Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes 59
Even More Change 60
The Play-by-Play 62
Dealing with Braxton-Hicks 66
What Your Baby is Doing 67
Chapter 5 Baby Stuff 69
Nesting 70
The Baby Shower 72
Some Assembly Required 75
Choosing a Name 77
What to Call the Grandparents 83
Chapter 6 Getting Ready for the Delivery 87
Hospital Logistics 87
Getting Your BS Degree (Baby Safety, of Course) 89
Birthing Class 90
Hospital Tour 91
Birth Plan 93
Cord Blood 94
Part 3 Third Trimester
Chapter 7 Things to Squeeze in Before the Baby Squeezes Out 99
Taking a Vacation 100
Exploring Paternity Leave 101
Making Sense out of Every Dollar 102
Finding a Pediatrician 106
Finding a Day Care 109
Birth Announcements 112
Do I Really Need to Buy Her a "Push" Gift? 113
Chapter 8 Babywatch 117
The Freak-Out 119
Packing a Bag 121
Dissecting Advice for New Dads 123
Preterm Labor 126
I Saw the Sign, and It Opened Up Her Cervix 131
Encouraging the Baby to Come 132
Chapter 9 The Birth: Special Delivery 137
Methods for the Madness 137
Bad Things, Man, Bad Things 144
Fetal Monitoring 146
Role-Playing During Labor 147
Post-Birth Hospital Dos and Don'ts 149
Start Spreading the News 151
Papa's Got a Brand-New Life 152
Part 4 The Fourth Trimester
Chapter 10 Taking Junior Home 161
Real-World Bonding 162
Where Do I Fit In? 164
Visitation Policy 166
Bottle Versus Breast 169
Daddy...Nooooooo! 170
Letting Grandparents Lend a Hand 172
Common Baby Myths 175
Your New Schedule 176
Back on the Chain Gang 178
Is It Sexy Time Yet? 179
Getting a Babysitter 180
Babyproofing 181
Epilogue: Doughnuts for Dad 189
Appendix: Real Birth Story 191
Additional Resources 199
Index 203