For every intended parent journeying through a surrogate pregnancy, waiting for the arrival of the newborn is exhilarating as well as stressful. Therefore, Joy of Life® will help new dads better prepare themselves for the surrogate baby from both a practical and an emotional perspective.
Preparation
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Baby-Proofing
New dads can make your home a safe and welcoming place for the newborn. That means thoroughly cleaning and disinfecting the space to ensure that whatever the baby might try to touch, open, or play with. Everywhere won’t hurt him or her.
Set Up the Nursery
No matter whether you plan to have the baby sleep in the nursery or not, minimize the chemical off-gassing from new furniture or carpet. Moreover, new dads should make sure to paint well before the newborn arrives, for the same reason.
Logistics
When your partner is busy taking care of the newborn, new dads should take charge in other areas to ensure that the whole process goes smoothly. Therefore, items such as baby-care essentials, clothes for the hospital and even frozen meals should be stocked up in advance, since you may have no time to make a run to the store right after the baby arrives. Make sure you have an infant car seat installed properly in the car in which you plan to bring the baby home.
Communication
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With Your Partner and Family
It is very important to have a conversation with your partner and family members regarding the division of labor. A new baby takes a joint effort and requires everyone’s calm dedication. Therefore, it’s better to plan out how to split the duties in advance. It helps ease any potential resentments and ensures that everyone has enough time with the baby while still getting enough rest.
With Your Surrogate Mother and Her Family
Giving birth to a baby is never easy for the surrogate mother and her family. Since she may suffer from physical and emotional discomfort during the pregnancy. Without her sacrifice, the surrogacy couldn’t be completed. New dads are supposed to express sincere appreciation and support to the surrogate mother. In addition, you should let her know how much you appreciate everything she has done for your family.
Emotion
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Accept the Fact of Surrogacy
For many families, not being able to carry your own child has always felt like a loss, especially for women. It is essential for the new dads to help ease their partners’ pain and patiently listen to their fears and concerns. Your support will help your partner move forward to focus on preparation for the baby’s arrival.
Understand the Connection Between Baby and Surrogate Mother
During the pregnancy, babies will develop a strong sense of hearing and smell. This means they will be born with a natural attachment to their surrogate mother, to whom they’ve spent nine months listening. Don’t feel anxious if the baby does not bond with you immediately. It takes time to ease into this particular bond. The best thing to do is to touch and talk with the baby. Spend time letting your baby lie against your skin. Because skin-to-skin contact is so important in establishing that special bond. In addition, a transitional item, such as a teddy bear with the surrogate mother’s scent, is recommended to help the baby maintain a sense of familiarity and comfort during this transaction.
Be Confident That You Will Be a Great Dad
No matter how prepared you are, parenthood will always be challenging and stressful. Before you welcome the newborn home, take some time to think about what kind of father you want to be. After that, gather as much information as you can about newborn care and parenting. This will help you create your own parenting guidelines. Moreover, talk to your parents or friends who have experience in parenting. You can build up your support network so that you know who to learn from.
Joy of Life® understands the concerns and needs that new parents may have. We will walk each intended parent through this entire journey and guide them along the way.
If you have more questions? No worries, please contact us for more details.
