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TOPIC: Best Books for New or Expecting Dads

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Daddy Clay

Best Books for New or Expecting Dads
3 Years, 7 Months ago

Hunter sent me a message asking if I had any recs for good books for expecting dads to prep them for fatherhood. Unfortunately, the DadLabs book is still a year away -- probably too late for my man Hunter. My standard recs are Birth by Tina Cassidy (social historical look at the process), Alternadad by Neal Pollack (funny hipster dad) and Babyproofing Your Marriage by Stacie Cockerell et al (Chapter 6, thank me later). Has anybody read Kevin Nealon's new dad book? Suggestions on books you have found useful?

Last Edit: 2009/04/16 05:51 By .

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teddy_m.

Re: Best Books for New or Expecting Dads 3 Years, 7 Months ago
My wife purchased The Expectant Father boxed set for me. It includes The Expectant Father, The New Father: The First Year, and The New Father: The Toddler Years. I've read the first book and part of the second, and I love the in depth information that each book provides. I definitely recommend this set to all fathers, not just us dads-to-be.

Last Edit: 2009/04/16 05:51 By .

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lawrence

Re: Best Books for New or Expecting Dads
3 Years, 7 Months ago

Thanks for the info, DaddyClay. As an expecting dad with absolutely no clue on how to HOLD a baby, much less raise one, any suggested reading material would be MUCH appreciated. One book I came across on Amazon was Be Prepared: A Practical Handbook for New Dads by Gary Greenberg. It has a ton of useful information, especially for the dad who is a complete tabula rasa, such as myself, but it is also side-splittingly funny (check out the first chapter where he explains what your child will look like and, more importantly, NOT look like when he/she is born! It's available via the Look Inside feature on Amazon.).

Last Edit: 2009/04/16 05:51 By .

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Daddy Clay

Re: Best Books for New or Expecting Dads
3 Years, 7 Months ago

I think The Expectant Father is the book that ends up with guys more often than any other (I think I spotted it in Knocked Up). I agree with Teddy that it's useful and informative. It's also the book that launched DadLabs. As a group we just felt that it was dry. It didn't really feel like what we were experiencing. We set out to add some fun to what we found in the Armin Brott canon. Though hats off to AB -- he's the king of the hill. Also, I don't go on for self-help in general, but Hal Runkle's book Screamfree Parenting is really worth a read. Very down to earth. We think Hal rocks.

Last Edit: 2009/04/16 05:51 By .

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concretin_nik

Re: Best Books for New or Expecting Dads
3 Years, 7 Months ago

Learning to hold the kid comes naturally. I never like(d) to hold other peoples babies, but I'll snatch up and throw Indy around no problem.

I had one book for Dad's, the first year or something, but it seemed to be written for my father's generation, guys afraid to be involved. It read like I was a lil' kid idiot father. I hated it. I keep meaning to check for Alternadad. His interviews were cool, so I think I'll like the book. Same with Babyproofing Your Marriage (though I feel your marriage should be rock solid long before you even think of having a kid... but that's just me). But those ladies are funny. I'm not just kissin' butt here, but the DadLabs videos (online) and the DVD Guide to Labor and Delivery pretty much covered everything I really needed to know. (Aside from some of the tedious medical stuff.) AND they kept my attention long enough to get the info! Ya can't go wrong with 'em. Funny, entertaining, and actually informing. Seriously! Jenny McCarthy's book is a pretty funny read, even if it's from a woman's point of view. My wife loved it and constantly pointed out excerpts. And she still busts out What to expect the first year kinda like a reference book. It's pretty well written and easy to read. (I'll double check the titles and post them in a reply from home.)

Last Edit: 2009/04/16 05:51 By .

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concretin_nik

Re: Best Books for New or Expecting Dads
3 Years, 7 Months ago

What to Expect: The First Year is the cool reference book name. Jenny's book(s) are Belly Laughs (about pregnancy - the one my wife liked), and Baby Laughs (one she hasn't read yet). The one I really didn't like is The Everything Father's First Year Book. There is some straight to the point good info in it, but the be involved and supporting mom aspects are dumb. (Would I be reading about this stuff if I wasn't already involved?)

Last Edit: 2009/04/16 05:51 By .

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ben

Re: Best Books for New or Expecting Dads 3 Years, 7 Months ago
Believe it or not, the book I ended up going back to time after time was The Caveman's Pregnancy Companion: A Survival Guide for Expectant Fathers by David Port and John Ralston. While it's a bit fun, there's a lot of really good information in there.

Last Edit: 2009/04/16 05:51 By .

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teddy_m.

Re: Best Books for New or Expecting Dads
3 Years, 7 Months ago

I honestly have read most of my wife's books. I read the Jenny McCarthy one just like Concretin Nik, and she just got one called The Working Gal's Guide to Babyville that I kidnapped and am reading. She has so many, so I just pick the ones that don't seem too geared towards women alone. I also recommend any books by Dr. Sears. My has quite a collection of them, and he gives really good, unbiased information.

Last Edit: 2009/04/16 05:51 By .

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lawrence

Re: Best Books for New or Expecting Dads 3 Years, 7 Months ago
Just wanted to let everyone know about a book I'm reading now called What to Expect When You're Wife is Expanding. The title says it all! Obviously, it's a parody, but it really does have useful information.

Last Edit: 2009/04/16 05:51 By .

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bradley_arlt

Re: Best Books for New or Expecting Dads 3 Years, 7 Months ago
The Bloke's Guide to Pregnancy by Jon Smith. It is funny as hell in places and still very informative. It also puts some problems in the pregnancy in perspective. Not baby problems, but My wife insists on sleeping with the window open and I am freezing type problems.<br><br>The focus of the book is pregnancy, birth, and the first bit when the baby is still fresh.

Last Edit: 2009/04/16 05:51 By .

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uncle_sutts

Re: Best Books for New or Expecting Dads
3 Years, 7 Months ago

I've gotta go with Daddy Clay on this one, The Expectant Father has found a welcome place on my bookshelf. We gave them all a basic spin, but around 5 months or so, we cut back on the reading and did more listening to friends and family. Only reason being is that a very good percentage of these things only tell you things that can go wrong. I'm not implying in any way that being informed is not the way to be, rather focusing on the positive gets us further than the negatives, and more sleep too. We've had all the tests done and continue to have required care, rest assured no less emphasis placed there. I've got 7 god-daughters and they've schooled me well so far. Bri-

Last Edit: 2009/04/16 05:51 By .

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dadnorth

Re: Best Books for New or Expecting Dads 3 Years, 7 Months ago
My wife and I found the book The Baby Whisperer by Tracy Hogg and Melinda Blau, to worth it's weight in gold.

Last Edit: 2009/04/16 05:51 By .

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daddypaul

Re: Best Books for New or Expecting Dads 3 Years, 7 Months ago
The New Father: A Dad's Guide to the First Year<br><br>My wife and I actually found this book more helpful than some of her mom books. It's broken into months (so you can brag about how advanced you kid is), no really this helps break it up for easy reading. Good blend of humor, experience, and just plain talk- also good resources.

Last Edit: 2009/04/16 05:51 By .

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hunter

Re: Best Books for New or Expecting Dads 3 Years, 7 Months ago
heyy Daddy paul i picked that one up today and it is so far the best

Last Edit: 2009/04/16 05:51 By .

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Daddy Clay

Re: Best Books for New or Expecting Dads 3 Years, 7 Months ago
As soon as we're done with the final round of edits on our book, I'm going to look at this one. I am superstitious about reading other people's books as I'm working on one myself -- like I'll get discouraged, or will start stealing ideas without being able to help myself. This one is now on the top of my list when we finish.

Last Edit: 2009/04/16 05:51 By .

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justin

Re: Best Books for New or Expecting Dads
3 Years, 7 Months ago

Hey guys - Many classics have been listed but I'm suprised not to see The Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Harvey Karp (book and DVD, actually). Hands down the best information I had upon the nurse actually handing me our new little dude (who just turned 1 on the 2nd, woooo!). Dr. Karp puts forward the hypothesis that the first three months are actually the Fourth Trimester, where the baby is basically an external fetus. Thus, things you can do to replicate conditions in the womb will trigger their calming reflex... The famous Five S's include swaddling, side-lying position, shushing, swinging, and sucking. For us, it was absolutely amazing... like turning off a light bulb. I've passed it on to 3 or 4 other people and they all said you saved our lives. It works and it's worth a look. J

Last Edit: 2009/04/16 05:51 By .

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concretin_nik

Re: Best Books for New or Expecting Dads 3 Years, 7 Months ago
I've heard similar reviews of that book, though I never got it. But I can definitely attest to the Swaddling... wrapped the boy up and 99% of the time that's all he needed... Lil' Baby Burrito Swinging and Shushing worked for the other 1%.

Last Edit: 2009/04/16 05:51 By .

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josh1

Re: Best Books for New or Expecting Dads 3 Years, 7 Months ago
I'm suprised no one mentioned this already... The Baby Owner's Manual: Operating Instructions, Trouble-Shooting Tips, and Advice on First-Year Maintenance by Louis & Joe Borgenicht. An interesting, funny way to look at things. Honestly, I even learned some things in here that I missed in other books.

Last Edit: 2009/04/16 05:51 By .

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SimkaOlssen

Re: Best Books for New or Expecting Dads
3 Years, 7 Months ago

Hi there, pretty new expectant father here (first baby due February 14 next year). I've read two books so far, both of which I enjoyed and found interesting/stimulating. I got a broad overview of what's in store from Marcus Berkmann's Fatherhood while They F*** You Up by Oliver James is a psychoanalyst's view of the impact parents can have on a child's upbringing in the first three years - with a few case studies of celebrities to lighten up what is sometimes quite a heavy book.

Last Edit: 2009/04/16 05:51 By .

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sam

Re: Best Books for New or Expecting Dads 3 Years, 6 Months ago
Hi Everybody,<br><br>nice discussion. I am expecting my first baby in 7 months (Too much early, no), but I bought many books and dvd's on the topic.<br><br>I am reading a nice book called: Blooming pregnancy: Surviving and thriving for him and her, by Lunn Huggins-Cooper. It has 52 brillant ideas to survive pregnancy and I feel it will be very useful for the next coming 30 weeks

Last Edit: 2009/04/16 05:51 By .

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daddy_k

Re: Best Books for New or Expecting Dads 3 Years, 6 Months ago
Man, so many books to read for a new daddy. Thank goodness I like to read. I just blogged about this yesterday.<br><br>I also read a recommendation about Caveman's Guide to Baby's First Year so I ordered it. Any daddy-o podcasts that are recommended as well?

Last Edit: 2009/04/16 05:51 By .

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mbd

Re: Best Books for New or Expecting Dads
3 Years, 6 Months ago

I can also recommend 'Be Prepared: A Practical Handbook for New Dads' as mentioned by Lawrence. I would also recommend 'Crawling: A Father's First Year' by Elisha Cooper - it's not an instructional book, but was instrumental in giving a snapshot of the kind of things that go through the mind of a new dad. From an informational standpoint pre-birth, I also liked 'Up The Duff' by Kaz Cooke which is readily available in Australia, but perhaps not so much elsewhere. One book that I read based on good Amazon reviews but was disappointed in was 'Mack Daddy' by Larry Bleidner as I found it a little bit patronizing.

Last Edit: 2009/04/16 05:51 By .

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jer

Re: Best Books for New or Expecting Dads
3 Years, 6 Months ago

i've read the what to expect, the first year book, and some of the adoption books, but i gotta tell ya i generally just read what the wife has cut out and put next to the bed or the can. i know the books can be a lot of help, and surely have been for me, but sometimes you just have to figure out what works best for you, granted the books can help steer you in that direction. personally, the hippos go beserk has been the best thing i've read in ages.

Last Edit: 2009/04/16 05:51 By .

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sglanfer

Re: Best Books for New or Expecting Dads
1 Year, 11 Months ago

"Be Prepared" is a great, funny, easy to read demystifier of many of the tactics of being a dad. "Operating Instructions" good because it is just stories - not expert advice, which just made my head spin when I was getting ready. A new book of stories from the first years is my "The Faith of a Child and other Stories of Becoming and Being Dad" at tinyurl.com/tfoac-amazon. Thanks for giving it a look.

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