Are you expecting a baby? Congratulations. But how do you deal with your fears about the reality of being a father?
You must have heard a lot of things. Some scary, others intriguing. Everything has the same effect on you — anxiety. If you ask me, this is a normal feeling.
Here, we’ve got the right tools to help you allay your fears, and equip you with the necessary knowledge to thrive in this next stage of your life.
Great knowledge lies within pages of books, which is why we’ve brought to you the best books for expecting fathers (especially first-timers).
These books would surely help you enter this new phase with a lot of confidence, knowledge, and needed mental strength to make the period a great one for you and your significant other.
Know This!
Gone are the days when men used to believe the pregnancy period is all about the mother. These days, awareness has spread, and every expectant father should be aware of his responsibilities during this period.
Reading any of these books to the end is a sure way to learn about these responsibilities. Each book contains practical tips, birth stories, Dos and don’ts, and other things you need to know as far as being an expectant father is concerned.
It brings you insight into what the women may be feeling at every stage of pregnancy development, and also offers practical solutions on how to help them get through it.
End your sleepless night of worry, allay your fears, and be mentally prepared for this period, by journey through every page of any of the books listed below.
Don’t Judge based on hearsay, everything negative you’ve heard about these periods is untrue, or is it? Well, get any of the below-listed books, to learn more.
Best Pregnancy Books for Dads
SideKick
Written by: Brig Berthold
In this book, Brig views expectant dads as a ‘Support champion’ to the main hero (the mother-to-be). He describes you (expectant father) as a sidekick to the real hero.
This reason is why this book contains detailed information to help you get through with your sidekick responsibility with ease.
It contains practical tips and over 20 illustrations to help you thrive during pregnancy. It covers useful information like knowing things involved, and expected of you during the first trimester, and subsequently.
It also looks into satisfying your partner’s cravings, knowing where to fit in during baby showers, and other activities involved before, during, and after labor and childbirth. It’s a must-read for every expectant father.
The Expectant Father: Facts, tips, and advice for dads to be (3rd edition)
Written by: Armin A. Brott & Jeniffer Ash
This great book details useful information on pregnancy and life after baby. It gives you tips on what to do when you’re stressed and overwhelmed.
It also contains information on how to give your partner the needed support & encouragement during pregnancy and labor.
It touches numerous aspects like finance, choosing baby names, monitoring the mothers-to-be diet, and juggling work and family.
Most of the points discussed in the book were explained using New Yorker cartoon style, for easy comprehension and information retaining. It’s indeed a great guide for expectant dads.
The Birth Partner: A complete guide to childbirth for dads, doulas, & all other labor companions
Written by: Penny Simkin
Penny takes you through a 398 pages journey, detailing every possible childbirth scenario in this book.
The book comes in four sections — Before birth, labor & birth, medical side of childbirth, and after birth. Each section contains rich information and confers on you the practical knowledge needed to thrive.
It also contains helpful illustrations and navigable charts for ease of understanding, and information retention.
Be Prepared: Practical handbook for new dads
Written by: Gary Greenberg & Jeannie Hayden
Greenberg and Hayden did a good job by filling this book with a lot of humor while passing valuable information across. It helps ease your fears about the whole pregnancy scenario.
It features comical illustrations of the needed information by dads-to-be with little or no previous baby experience.
From swaddling to changing diapers at sporting events, a lot of topics were discussed in this book, with detailed knowledge embedded in it.
Don’t Just Stand There: How to be helpful, clued in, supportive, engaged, meaningful, and relevant in the delivery room
Written by: Ellisa stein & Jon Lichtenstein
This pocket-size book contains relatable information on labor and delivery. The 100 pages book covers general talking points about basic information on stages of labor, the emotional/mental psychological state of the expectant mother, and how you can make it better.
It also contains details about the dos and don’ts during this stage, with perfectly blended light-hearted humor. It features a full-page illustration to ensure an effective grasp of the information passed across.
As brief as the book may be, the knowledge, information, and tips shared in it, can make you the best partner anyone would wish to have in the delivery room.
The Baby Bump
Written by: Carley Roney
This book contains necessary information that helps you keep track of the week-to-week baby development.
It contains a checklist for birth plans, baby-kick trackers, and other helpful nuggets. The author employs a more fun and less authoritative tone to pass information across.
It is succinct, contains detailed information and practical advice, and also worksheets to practicalize each piece of advice.
From Dude to Dads: The diaper dude guide to pregnancy
Written by: Chris Pegula & Frank Meyer
Chris & Meyer comes with an intriguing guide containing vital information on pregnancy. It helps you understand what your partner experiences during each trimester, and what’s expected of you.
It gives you surefire tips on how to be the ‘best partner and dad-to-be’, and also how to bond with your baby effortlessly, after childbirth.
It is an efficient road map of what lies ahead, getting you prepared for the arrival that will have a great impact in your life — from dude to dad.
The Dad’s Playbook to Labor and Birth
Written by: Theresa & Brad Halvorsen
The foremost pages of this book contain details about diverse stories and scenarios of childbirth. This helps aid readers to learn about upcoming birth experience, and also get them motivated.
It highlights your responsibility and how to go about doing effectively, using various sport analogies. It’s a great book, and it will make a good read for expectant fathers.
Dude, You’re Gonna Be a Dad: How to get (both of you) through the next 9 months
Written by: John Pfeiffer
John Pfeiffer has spent time helping you compile how to avoid common pitfalls as an expectant dad. It contains tips on how to effectively grab many responsibilities, and also build your assertiveness.
From dealing with morning sickness, to choosing a name, hospital, packing an overnight bag, and knowing when to chip in the “You’re beautiful” compliment, this book has what it takes to be an effective guide all through.
Dad’s Pregnant Too!: Expectant fathers, expectant mothers, new dads, new moms, share advice, tips, stories about all the surprises, questions, and Joy’s ahead…
Written by: Harlan Cohen
This book serves as a guide to pregnancy, labor & delivery, early days of parenting, etc. for expectant dads. It contains personal accounts and real-life anecdotes from various interviews.
It is easy to understand, and quick to read, with a lot of sensible information. It covers over 100 topics through Q&A, trivia, tips, sidebars etc.
These topics include doctor’s appointment, sex during pregnancy, takin Care of the expectant mother, mood swings, what to expect amongst others. It’s a great guide for you as an expectant dad.
Home Game: An accidental Guide to Fatherhood
Written by: Micheal Lewis
The New York Best Seller Micheal Lewis comes with a great guide to help expectant fathers through the period of pregnancy and after childbirth.
After running a diary of his 3 children’s first years, as a way to cope with the confusion and ambivalence he initially felt. He decides to share this humerus, heartening, and very relatable guide (the product of his diary) with the world.
Micheal Lewis goes through all the essential information, needed by the expectant father, what to do in a particular situation, and what not to.
A Dude’s Guide To Babies: The New Dad’s Playbook
Written by: Richard Jones & Barry Robert Ozer
This book contains straight talk, practical advice, and personal experiences on how to ease the stress of cleaning, feeding, bonding with your child, and also making them feel safe and secure.
The 208 pages reveal things to do in the delivery room, how-to-baby proof the home without going overboard, the likely questions to ask your child’s healthcare provider during visit, pop’s quizzes to help you determine how good a dad you are, amongst others.
It tells you what to do, when to do them, what to expect, and how to react to them when they occur. It is a perfect guide on how to thrive as a new dad.
Reluctant Father
Written by: Phillip Toledano
This pregnancy book helps you get through the period of pregnancy and after childbirth. It gives you the most honest portrait of the 1st year and helps you understand the whole concept of fatherhood.
It is a Frank, and funny account of every occurrence during the pregnancy period, and after childbirth. Giving you insights into what to expect, and how to deal with them.
Every first-time expectant dads should have a copy of this, as it helps you make informed decisions, and act experienced. Even though it’s just your first time.
We’re Pregnant: The first-time dad’s pregnancy handbook
Written by: Adrian Kulp
This is a great pregnancy book for inexperienced dads. It effectively makes you an excellent first-time dad & an all-time great partner.
It equips you with the knowledge required to be a vital part of your partner’s whole pregnancy experience.
It contains in-depth suggestions and the right information on how to be an ideal partner. It also features easy-to-read stats on the mummy and baby, a month-to-month guide to prepare for the newborn arrival, and steps involved in designing a solid birth plan.
What to expect when your wife is expanding: A Reassuring month-by-month Guide for the father-to-be Whether He wants Advice or not
Written by: Thomas Hill
If you’re looking for detailed facts or advice, this book isn’t the best for you. However, if you wish to laugh your way through the period of pregnancy, then this is the best guide for you.
The book is heavier on humor than facts or advice. Albeit, it contains the basic information needed to help you thrive during this period.
The 142 pages book is a parody of Murk off’s pregnancy guide ‘What to expect when you’re expecting’. It comes in an easy to read Q&A format, with each page having heavy those of sarcasm.
It is a month-by-month guide, and every first page of each month chapter contains a list of ‘what your wife will be complaining about’, which gets you mentally ready for it. Though a parody, it is a great guide nevertheless.
Conclusion
Getting through the pregnancy period with your significant other is quite stress-free.
The knowledge needed to thrive, and get through this period with ease is contained within the pages of each of the books listed above.
These books help you become a more responsible partner, a great expectant dad, and it makes being pregnant a fun thing to do with your partner.
Life before, during, and after pregnancy shouldn’t come with much difficulties, getting a pregnancy guide book helps you ensure that.
It confers in you the needed knowledge, information, tips, and practical guidance to help you treat the mother-to-be better, and be the best partner she could ever wish for.
Spreading the awareness for these kinds of books should be promoted, as pregnancy isn’t just for expectant mothers to deal with alone, expect dads also have great roles to play!
