Reviewed: You’re Going To Be A Dad

Daddilife is the world’s leading online platform and community for dads and dads-to-be. It is a place for dads to ask questions, share stories, read pertinent articles and basically address all those dad worries. Now, the brains behind Daddilife have decided to put all their knowledge, and that of their followers and readers, to good use in a new book ‘You’re Going To Be A Dad.’

This book is an essential buy for any new dad to be, as it breaks down everything. It covers the whole of pregnancy in a week by week guide, examining the questions, preconceptions (and misconceptions), along with that jumble of thoughts and feelings that new dads, and dads to be, can experience.

The main emphasis of this book is on the pregnancy, although some chapters are given over to baby’s first year, the majority concern the time before baby makes an actual appearance. It is a careful blend of the personal and medical (what is actually happening to mum and baby through the weeks) with the practical (what you can be doing in terms of preparation). There is a useful glossary of terms each week, which is useful for helping to understand some of the jargon you might hear doctors or health professionals say.

The use of memories and tips from real dads help to bring a real human touch to the book, bringing alive what could be a dry, technical topic, whilst the checklists not only help to support dads to support mum, but could also be useful for mum herself to help keep track of all those things that are needed.

I love the supportive nature of the tone of this book, not just offering support to dads who are feeling a little unsure of everything, but also showing how dads to be can support mums-to-be too. It is never preachy, but instead is warm and friendly, like having a chat with a supportive mate, and aims to really help (for instance, looking at#/// how dad can support a mum-to-be faced with new diet choices and cravings etc,). Most advice is practical and proactive – using ginger tea for attacks of nausea for instance. But despite the warmth of the tone, it doesn’t shy away from more sensitive issues like miscarriage, or the more personal, like sex and pregnancy.

You’re Going To Be A Dad has lots of moments of sheer joy, with pregnancy reveal stories and memories of the first time parents were able to feel baby move. These had me nodding and smiling at the same time, and help to bring alive the excitement of becoming a parent, particularly for the first time.

I would highly recommend this book as a gift for a prospective father, it is one of those books that becomes essential – you will fold over pages, add post-it notes and be reaching for a pencil to tick off those to-do lists. A crucial tome for a new father-to-be.

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