Dad to be - a dad is for life not just for Christmas
Congratulations! You're going to be a dad. We hope that this website will give you a lot of tips on being a dad.
In addition, to help you prepare, we offer you many places to go to for information on pregnancy, preparing for the birth and
the birth itself. Your midwife and Health Visitor can provide support and information to new mums and dads during and after the pregnancy.
Births are registered within 6 weeks and can be done in any one of the registration offices in the county. If you don't register as the father this can affect your rights in future years.
Tips from OxonDads
Talk to other dads - Knowing that you're going to be a dad is a fantastic experience but one that brings lots of questions.
Do I feel ready to be a dad? How will we cope financially? Will the baby and my partner be OK? These worries are all
perfectly natural, but you may find that it helps to talk to other dads, or even your own, most of them will have asked themselves the same questions.
• Whenever possible, go to the scan and antenatal appointments with your partner. Although dads have no legal right
to attend appointments many companies now recognise the importance of a flexible approach and allow paid time off.
• Try to get involved is by attending antenatal courses with your partner. Many of first time dads will never have held a newborn baby until that first moment when they hold their own so feelings of apprehension or of not knowing what to expect are only natural. Antenatal classes are also a great way to meet other parents who are all in the same boat, some of which will become lifelong friends, especially after you wet your baby’s head!
• Talk to each other. You and your partner are probably both worried about the potential changes to your relationship after the birth - talk to each other! Talking about concerns can help you cope with pregnancy, birth and early parenting.
• If you are not together with the mother try and keep in touch as best you can so that you can stay involved in your child’s life. Every child needs a father!
Birth
What to expect
Don't expect your baby to arrive on its due date - it's only a rough guide. Although 40 weeks is the norm, some babies come earlier and going beyond 40 weeks is pretty common too. It should be fairly obvious when your partner is in labour but signs to watch out for include:
• Lower back pain sometimes accompanied by cramp
• Contractions become more frequent and intense
• Some blood-tinged discharge, which might include mucus
Tips from OxonDads
• When labour starts - don’t panic! If her waters break it is the release of the amniotic fluid from the womb prior to birth. Call the maternity unit and ask for their advice. If you're worried that things are happening much too fast, or if you have any other cause for concern, call an ambulance.
• See it through! – Whether at hospital or at home you can play a vital role supporting your partner, your child and even the Midwife. The Medical staff and Midwives will support you and tell you how you can be of help. You may need to be quite firm with some staff that you want to be present, informed and involved. Don’t be alarmed if you are asked to leave the room at any point. Make sure that they know to call you back in as soon as possible.
Useful Links
• For more information go to www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/registration or call 0845 129 5900
• Paternity Rights, Pay and what you can claim for a new child including Child Benefit, Tax Credits and Child Trust Fund contact:
• Oxfordshire Family Information Service www.oxonfis.org.uk or call 0845 26 26 36
• Info on your local Baby Café www.thebabycafe.org
Other sources of information:
• www.dadtalk.co.uk
• www.fatherhoodinstitute.org
• www.dads-space.com
• www.dad-info
• www.young-fathers.org.uk
• www.understandingchildhood.net
• www.homedad.org.uk
Congratulations! You're going to be a dad. We hope that this website will give you a lot of tips on being a dad.
In addition, to help you prepare, we offer you many places to go to for information on pregnancy, preparing for the birth and
the birth itself. Your midwife and Health Visitor can provide support and information to new mums and dads during and after the pregnancy.
Births are registered within 6 weeks and can be done in any one of the registration offices in the county. If you don't register as the father this can affect your rights in future years.
Tips from OxonDads
Talk to other dads - Knowing that you're going to be a dad is a fantastic experience but one that brings lots of questions.
Do I feel ready to be a dad? How will we cope financially? Will the baby and my partner be OK? These worries are all
perfectly natural, but you may find that it helps to talk to other dads, or even your own, most of them will have asked themselves the same questions.
• Whenever possible, go to the scan and antenatal appointments with your partner. Although dads have no legal right
to attend appointments many companies now recognise the importance of a flexible approach and allow paid time off.
• Try to get involved is by attending antenatal courses with your partner. Many of first time dads will never have held a newborn baby until that first moment when they hold their own so feelings of apprehension or of not knowing what to expect are only natural. Antenatal classes are also a great way to meet other parents who are all in the same boat, some of which will become lifelong friends, especially after you wet your baby’s head!
• Talk to each other. You and your partner are probably both worried about the potential changes to your relationship after the birth - talk to each other! Talking about concerns can help you cope with pregnancy, birth and early parenting.
• If you are not together with the mother try and keep in touch as best you can so that you can stay involved in your child’s life. Every child needs a father!
Birth
What to expect
Don't expect your baby to arrive on its due date - it's only a rough guide. Although 40 weeks is the norm, some babies come earlier and going beyond 40 weeks is pretty common too. It should be fairly obvious when your partner is in labour but signs to watch out for include:
• Lower back pain sometimes accompanied by cramp
• Contractions become more frequent and intense
• Some blood-tinged discharge, which might include mucus
Tips from OxonDads
• When labour starts - don’t panic! If her waters break it is the release of the amniotic fluid from the womb prior to birth. Call the maternity unit and ask for their advice. If you're worried that things are happening much too fast, or if you have any other cause for concern, call an ambulance.
• See it through! – Whether at hospital or at home you can play a vital role supporting your partner, your child and even the Midwife. The Medical staff and Midwives will support you and tell you how you can be of help. You may need to be quite firm with some staff that you want to be present, informed and involved. Don’t be alarmed if you are asked to leave the room at any point. Make sure that they know to call you back in as soon as possible.
Useful Links
• For more information go to www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/registration or call 0845 129 5900
• Paternity Rights, Pay and what you can claim for a new child including Child Benefit, Tax Credits and Child Trust Fund contact:
• Oxfordshire Family Information Service www.oxonfis.org.uk or call 0845 26 26 36
• Info on your local Baby Café www.thebabycafe.org
Other sources of information:
• www.dadtalk.co.uk
• www.fatherhoodinstitute.org
• www.dads-space.com
• www.dad-info
• www.young-fathers.org.uk
• www.understandingchildhood.net
• www.homedad.org.uk
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