Congrats. I have 2 daughters, 4 and 1.
Here's some advice I'm sure plenty'll disagree with:
1. Go natural, preferably a home birth or at a birthing clinic via midwife. Our first was at a hospital (one she worked at at the time as an RN) and the second at home. The home birth experience far exceeded the hospital environment, in more ways than one.
2. To make the case for #1 above, do your research about the many insane, unnecessary and unhealthy medical interventions doctors practice including c-sections & meds. (Don't get me wrong, there are cases where med. intervention is crucial, but 99% fewer than their rate of frequency today.)
3. Once the kid pops out, don't immediately cut the cord because they lose blood supply. Cut the cord once it stops pulsating; and when the baby pops out, get the baby immediately onto the mother (skin to skin) and help facilitate breast feeding.
4. If you're in a hospital, don't let them wheel the baby off immediately for weighing/measuring, stand your ground and tell them they can go fuck themselves (I had to.), that stuff can wait.
5. Resist hospital attempts to encourage formula feeding over breast feeding. BF'ing can be hard and painful at first, but the health benefits for both mom and baby are huge (decrease risk of breast cancer in moms, stronger immunity for babies). WHO (would health organization) recommends BF'ing until at least 2 years of age.
6. Co-sleep. Our natural instinct as youngsters is to be with the pack.
7. 80% of a child's brain is developed by the age of 3. Environment can significantly and permanently alter brain development. Don't hit, don't spank, don't abuse. Try your best not to raise your voice (which can seem near impossible sometimes)
8. When they're throwing temper tantrums, it's because the part of the brain that isn't yet developed (the PFC, pre-frontal cortex), isn't fully developed until the age of 25. It's incapable of rationally processing emotion.. It's not because "they're being bad." It's also why teenagers make some really fucking stupid decisions and we look back on those days and think "wtf was I thinking!"
9. Resist indoctrinating them, and instead focus on teaching them critical thinking
10. Good luck bro.
Here's some advice I'm sure plenty'll disagree with:
1. Go natural, preferably a home birth or at a birthing clinic via midwife. Our first was at a hospital (one she worked at at the time as an RN) and the second at home. The home birth experience far exceeded the hospital environment, in more ways than one.
2. To make the case for #1 above, do your research about the many insane, unnecessary and unhealthy medical interventions doctors practice including c-sections & meds. (Don't get me wrong, there are cases where med. intervention is crucial, but 99% fewer than their rate of frequency today.)
3. Once the kid pops out, don't immediately cut the cord because they lose blood supply. Cut the cord once it stops pulsating; and when the baby pops out, get the baby immediately onto the mother (skin to skin) and help facilitate breast feeding.
4. If you're in a hospital, don't let them wheel the baby off immediately for weighing/measuring, stand your ground and tell them they can go fuck themselves (I had to.), that stuff can wait.
5. Resist hospital attempts to encourage formula feeding over breast feeding. BF'ing can be hard and painful at first, but the health benefits for both mom and baby are huge (decrease risk of breast cancer in moms, stronger immunity for babies). WHO (would health organization) recommends BF'ing until at least 2 years of age.
6. Co-sleep. Our natural instinct as youngsters is to be with the pack.
7. 80% of a child's brain is developed by the age of 3. Environment can significantly and permanently alter brain development. Don't hit, don't spank, don't abuse. Try your best not to raise your voice (which can seem near impossible sometimes)
8. When they're throwing temper tantrums, it's because the part of the brain that isn't yet developed (the PFC, pre-frontal cortex), isn't fully developed until the age of 25. It's incapable of rationally processing emotion.. It's not because "they're being bad." It's also why teenagers make some really fucking stupid decisions and we look back on those days and think "wtf was I thinking!"
9. Resist indoctrinating them, and instead focus on teaching them critical thinking
10. Good luck bro.
