Becoming a dad is a challenging yet very rewarding process. Probably nothing you have done before in your life prepares you for it. A baby brings lots of excitement, nervousness, stress, and happiness into the parents' world - it is the ultimate roller coaster. While there is no set way of going through that process, it does have four distinct stages into which it can be divided. They are the expectant months during which your wife is pregnant, the actual birth, the newborn stage, and the baby phase. 

Below, you will find some simple tips on the do’s and don'ts of each of these four stages, based on the anecdotal experience of a couple of new parents who, most of the time, think they are being successful in the whole parenting thing. These recommendations, taken as the starting point for further research or to start a discussion with your close ones who are also parents, will ensure you are on track to both being successful at your new job and enjoying the process!

Tips for the pregnancy phase

1. Contribute to your wife’s nesting efforts. You will be thankful for it once the baby comes!
2. Start exercising your lower back and core, which you will use frequently when picking up your baby.
3. Try first with the cheap version of something, and once you know you will really use it, buy the high-end, high-quality version.
4. Make sure you are getting medical care that aligns with your financial capabilities.
5. Create a sleep routine where you sleep at least 8 hours per night and implement it three months before your baby is born so you get to the newborn stage well-rested.
6. Plan how and when you want your loved ones and friends to visit and meet your baby.
7. Make sure that you have an open schedule for as long as possible after your baby’s due date. Anything other than work, you will be thankful you canceled with time (sports or foreign language lessons, for example).

Tips for the birth phase

8. Drive to the hospital two weeks before the due date so you know how to get there.
9. Visit the hospital so you know precisely through which entrance you should go in through and familiarize yourself with where are the relevant offices and departments.
10. Changing your original visiting plan for friends and family is completely fine. Keep in mind that you will only understand your new family’s needs once you are actually holding your baby.
11. Make sure that you have a baby car seat so you can take your baby home, and plan for a family member or friend to drive you in case you are too tired to drive yourself.
12. Prioritize sleeping, which is best to do at the same time the baby does. They sleep for short periods, most likely less than three hours, so if you miss a sleeping window, tiredness might start piling up.
13. Don’t spend a second worrying you might be rude to friends and family - prioritize your needs, especially if it allows you to get more sleep!

Tips for the newborn phase

14. Get the baby used to sleeping in a bassinet or crib. The sooner your baby can sleep alone (even if in the same room as you), the quicker the whole family will fall into a resting schedule that tends to everyone’s needs and not only the baby’s.
15. Have an emergency plan, like asking a family member for help or hiring in-house childcare for a few days, in case the lack of sleep and ensuing stress get out of control.
16. Get your baby used to drinking from a bottle as soon as possible. This will open up the possibility, among other things, of taking turns during the night to feed the baby.
17. Be kind to yourself! Taking care of a newborn is tiring and stressful, so don’t worry about not being able to work, meet friends, or invest time in your hobbies like you used to.
18. Spend as much time with your baby as possible, as it will help you get to know them quickly and learn how to best tend to their needs.

Tips for the baby phase

19. Accept that things change by the minute and that you will need to iterate and adapt constantly.
20. Have lots of the same things (onesies, bottles, burp cloths, etc.) - they will get dirty fast, and this will help prevent you from having to wash them constantly to be able to use them again.
21. A routine is the best tool in your toolbox when it comes to taking care of a baby. They will be thankful for it, and so will you.
22. Plan your free time and make sure you plan to have some alone time with your wife. Keep the romance going!
23. Babies love being out and about, getting to know the world. Plan to get your baby out of the house regularly.