By and large, fathers look forward to the birth of their baby as much as mothers. Prior to the birth of the child, many fathers give their word to help wives or girlfriends in tending to the baby. Taking care of a newborn requires a lot of work. Couples who are planning for their first child can anticipate a major change. Often times, parents may misjudge the amount of work involved. Newborns do not sleep through the entire night. They often wake up every two hours for feedings and to have their diapers changed. Thus, for the first few months mothers and fathers may not get any rest.

Parents Need to be Equally Involved

Adjusting to a newborn is not as hard when both parents are equally involved. In many homes, mothers manage most of the work load. Those who choose to stay home with their baby must spend the whole day caring for the infant, while trying to care for the house. Mothers who work outside of the home in essence have two full-time jobs. There are fathers who readily share the work load. Their duties may include attending to the baby during the night, changing the baby, feeding the baby, and sharing household responsibilities.

On the other hand, there are fathers who are not interested with the daily responsibilities of caring for a baby. This is frustrating to mothers because they must bear the entire work load. They spend their days working, and their evenings concerned about housework and the children. These women must also spend their nights awake. A baby's needs do not come to an end after 9 PM. The truth is that fathers should, and need to lend a helping hand. The additional help will guarantee that the mother does not become burnt out. Understandably, some fathers are hesitant to help with the baby. This is primarily because they are not at ease with the baby.