What new mums want new dads to know...

Here here on the food thing, especially while breast feeding. The best thing my DH did was to bring me lots of food for breakfast while I was giving DD her morning feed and STARVING after feeding her all night, especially bits of food that you can eat easily with one hand, like cut up kiwi fruit and bananas, toast etc.

Right after DD was born I would say stick around at the hospital. DH rushed off to get everything done and felt very stressed that he needed to clean the house, change the sheets, etc. etc. before I got home. To be honest, I would much rather have come home to a slightly untidy house and have him by my side for longer at the hospital.

You're cracking me up, Annie!!

I wish my DH had stayed with me at the hospital all day (until they kick the men out of the ward at 8pm) both days I was in there.  Trying to get up out of bed to tend to baby took about 20 mins each time and was excruciating, and I needed him there to help.  He did have the house tidy for when I came home... might have something to do with me leaving a book open on the page explaining how truely evil it is for men to let us bring our new babies home to a pigsty of their own man-home-alone making!  That really helped. 

And never, boys, never complain about how tired you are in those early days.  We don't care!  You are nowhere near as bone-weary as we are, your body hasn't just been through hell and back, and we haven't got the emotional reserves left over to give a toss about your long day at work.   

And this helped - in the first couple of weeks, people texted DH to see if it was a good time to visit me and baby.  He was actually back at work (oh yeah... TAKE LEAVE even if you are self-employed, take a week or 2 off because the financial cost is nothing compared to the cost to your partner of being home alone with a brand new baby!!!  This is partly why I'm planning on 2 kids, no more!), but he would just check with me and basically be the visiting-police at first.  That really helped.  And he cooked dinner for those first 6 or so weeks - BIG help.  We wouldn't have eaten, otherwise!! 

Give heaps of praise when she manages to do a little job like the washing or cleaning it makes such a difference and actually makes you want to try and do more.

Lol Annie your DH sounds like mine

Well I found it a laugh but I'm not sure if the men will be laughing