Is Your Partner Ready To Be A Dad?

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Fatherhood is a completely different feeling from motherhood. When you become pregnant, your baby eats, sleeps and breathes with you for 9 months. So you are getting extra 9 months to bond with your baby. But for your partner, the baby is an external thing growing in your womb. He cannot perceive the baby as his strand of DNA!

Sometimes, the new father may not be able to connect with the baby at once. Your partner's aloof or indifferent behaviour towards the baby can sometimes put you off completely. But whenever you have such thoughts, try to understand if he is ready to be a dad yet?

Here are some points that will help you realise if he is ready to be a dad and if he isn't, then how you can help him be prepared for it.

If He Is Not Ready To Be A Dad:

• He holds the baby at arm's length. This means he is scared that he might do something wrong with the baby. Most men have absolutely no experience of handling newborn babies, so its excusable.
• He waits for you to pick up the baby when he/she is crying. This could mean two things; either he just doesn't want to take the trouble or else he knows he will not be able to soothe the baby anyway so he doesn't try.
• He doesn't contribute to teaching the baby new things. Potty training, feeding and putting sleep are part of a new new father's duties. You have to tell him that doing these duties will help him bond with the baby.
• He refuses to share pictures of the baby with his friends or have them come over to see the newborn baby. This could mean he is embarrassed about becoming dad and that is not a good sign.

If He Is Ready To Be Dad...

• He looks for the traces of his own features in the baby and boasts that the little one has taken after him. This means that his paternal instincts are kicking so you can celebrate.
• He offers to babysit in case you want to go out for work. You should be going overboard with happiness if this happens. This means he is ready to accept his responsibility as a father all by himself.
• He takes interest in the feeding, health and sleeping habits of the baby. This basically means that he wants to be a part of parenting the baby voluntarily. As long as he takes interest, you both can always learn together.

So find out if your partner is ready to be a dad or not. And if he is not ready, don't be too hard on him. Sometimes, even late bloomers can be the best dads in the world.