Top 10 New Dad Fears Real dads dish on what had them scared out of their minds before baby arrived.…

Top 10 New Dad Fears

Real dads dish on what had them scared out of their minds before baby arrived.

Even if your guy is super-pumped to be a Dad, chances are he's a little freaked out too. Here are a few of the biggest new-daddy fears (and some things you both can do to ease the pressure).

FEAR #1: “Will I do everything right?”

_ MOM TIP: Let him know that it's okay to be clueless. “Any father can care for his child,” If he doesn't know how something works, help him learn and then back off to give him a shot.

FEAR #2:"I fear not being able to properly provide for my family once baby is here.”

_ COUPLE TIP: Do your homework to get a feel for what you'll really need to spend. “Then make a baby budget — no different than how you’d make a house budget.

FEAR #3: “I'm scared that everything we do will now be centered around babies.”

_ COUPLE TIP: Relax. “If an active social life is important to you, you're going to make that work with one kid or ten.”

FEAR #4: “I guess my biggest concern is that having a baby will force me to grow up. I'll have to drink less beer, play less video games.

_ DAD TIP: Yes, life is going to change. But it's okay if you still need some time for yourself. “Verbalize one thing you need and have your wife verbalize one thing she needs,”

FEAR #5:"Lack of sleep, because it makes me really cranky."

_ COUPLE TIP: “You WILL sleep again,” Just not at first. In the meantime, get a sleepy-time strategy. Will one of you handle the late-night shift on weekdays and the other on weekends?

FEAR #6: “That something will be wrong with the baby.”

COUPLE TIP: “Talk to your caregiver. Get statistics. Don't sit at home and stew quietly,”

FEAR #7: "All the crap that will be everywhere around the house."

_DAD TIP: “There's not some monster that's going to come in and steamroll over you,”. If it's important to you to maintain some order, make a plan with your spouse to do so.

FEAR #8:"Not being a good father. I know what it's like to not have a father, and I don't want to repeat the cycle."

_ DAD TIP: “A lot of fathers will try to either emulate their father or do the opposite. Talk about it. Be open and verbalize what your problems are,”

FEAR #9:"I'm deploying for a year and I'm scared that when I get home, she won't know who I am and she'll cry when I try to hold her."

MOM TIP: For military families, try rituals. Maybe it's a daily call or kissing his photo at bedtime. “Even better, do video chats if you can.

FEAR #10: “Not being able to ‘soothe’ her when she cries.”

MOM TIP: Be prepared to help jump-start the bonding. “It's a mother's job to not take the baby out of Dad’s arms when it cries, but to do the reverse,”. “Push the bonding process.

#babybump #fathertobe #preggo