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I’ve heard it from my own husband and other fathers: when it comes to discussions of parenthood, dads are routinely left out, even though they are experiencing many of the same things as moms.

In the early days, dads are just as confused, intimidated, elated, anxious, and sleep-deprived. They have that same moment of clarity of realizing that parenting is little more than winging it. They understand that brand-new and fierce instinct to protect and nurture at all costs.

Here, dads from around the world share their views on birth, surprises, and lessons from their smallest teachers.

Making introductions
“My son was born…

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Tricia has struggled with weight for as long as she can remember. Before she became pregnant with Lizzie, her first child, she was more than 50 pounds overweight, and during her pregnancy, she gained even more.

Since Lizzie was born six months ago, Tricia has been trying to shed the excess pounds. Even though Lizzie is just a baby, Tricia tries to eat healthy meals in front of her daughter, just in case Lizzie is taking note. Already, Lizzie’s weight is in the 90^th percentile. Tricia is worried about how her obesity might affect the weight of her child, and according to…

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Sunscreen is a must every day—365 days a year. But it’s especially important during the lazy, hazy days of spring and summer when you and your family spend more time outdoors. Everyone knows the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can cause skin cancer and burning; what you may not know is that just five sunburns at any age doubles one’s risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer. And just one blistering sunburn in childhood or adolescence more than doubles the risk of melanoma. To stay safe in the sun, slather sunscreen on yourself and children over the age of…

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I cultivated my sweet tooth at a young age, born into a family where Hostess Sno Balls and Twinkies were the preferred after-school snack. I could have/should have washed down the crumbly treats with a glass of milk, but chose instead an ice cold Coke—21 teaspoons of sugar, the equivalent of 90 grams or 450 calories. Is it any wonder that my siblings and I struggle with weight gain?

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that women consume no more than 6 teaspoons of added sugar a day (100 calories or 25 grams). For men the recommendation is no more…

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Both you and your baby are going to sleep terribly, possibly for months, so you might as well get used to the idea.

But don’t freak out—this is totally normal. All you have to do is make sure everyone lives through this tumultuous time. Pretend there’s a zombie war going on outside and your priority is basic survival. Do whatever it takes to stay alive. Believe that this too shall pass.

For those of you in the midst of intense sleep deprivation, you would probably like to take your computer and throw it at my head right now. No one wants to…

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Although the incidence of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) decreased significantly after the launch of the Back to Sleep campaign in 1994, SIDS is still the leading cause of death in children 1 month to 1 year of age. While the cause of SIDS remains a mystery, researchers recently identified a defect in the brain of infants who died of SIDS that may eventually lead to early detection of babies at risk for SIDS.

Published in the February 3, 2010 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), researchers compared the brainstems of 41 infants who died of SIDS with 7 infants who died…

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Perhaps Andrew Wakefield, MD didn’t realize that his 1998 study erroneously linking vaccinations to autism would ignite a decade long controversy. But he should have. If not for the media frenzy fomented by high profile celebrities, the scientific method might have triumphed long ago. Journalists should know better. Yet given the scope of the damage, any claim of vindication would ring hollow. In the end, science prevailed, but at what cost?

After the United Kingdom General Medical Council (GMC) described the actions of Andrew Wakefield, MD, and two of his colleagues as dishonest and irresponsible, The Lancet, a respected medical journal,…

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Whenever my Dad came home from work to find my siblings and me glued to the television, he would call us a bunch of “vidiots,” turn off the TV, and usher us outside to run around until dark. For much of my childhood, TV was limited to one hour per night – with Saturday morning cartoons or a movie on the weekends if we were good – and that was it.

Although I find it slightly ironic that I am writing this on my laptop (equipped with high-speed wireless internet) while listening to a CD (through the TV, which is hooked…

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I was a fearful father before my son was even born. I was afraid of everything. Should we roll up the windows while driving to avoid toxic fumes? Is this tap water I’m giving to my wife filled with lead and aspartame? Am I reading the right books to my unborn child or should I just pick up the Holy Bible and put down this Tolkien nonsense?

Now that Willard has been welcomed into the world—alive, healthy and with all his fingers and toes—I’m even more afraid. And it goes far beyond rolling up windows and reading the Bible. Every little shiver…

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I’ve never been one to be materialistic when it comes to the holidays. Sure, there have been things I’ve wanted for Christmas. Mostly, those hopes and dreams came when I was a kid who wanted the Atari, the He-Man figures, the Star Wars ships, the R2-D2 toy box to put everything in. But as I grew into a teenager and started to work, I realized that gifts from other people didn’t matter as much as the idea that someone would think of me enough to get me something they thought I would appreciate.

And the gifts changed from being collectible items to…

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It’s rather inspiring that Amanda Soule—one of the craftiest and deservedly popular mamas of the Mom Bloggers set—did not consider herself a crafty or artistic child when she was growing up.

“For me, my creative spirit was awakened—and awakened loudly—through the presence of my shining children and the lessons I’ve learned from them,” writes Soule in her recent book, “The Creative Family” (Trumpeter Books, 2008).

In her book, Amanda—that’s SouleMama in the blogging world—not only gives the reader a generous helping of craft ideas for little ones, but also a gently encouraging nudge to pursue their own artistic natures. Even if a lifelong…

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Katie Powers is a wife, mother, nurse, lactation consultant, and friend. She writes a column titled, Baby Talk in which she responds to questions from expectant and new parents. Katie was kind enough to allow me to share one of her recent columns.

Becoming a Great Father by Katie Powers

Question: We are expecting our first child soon. I want to be a great father. Do you have any suggestions?

Answer: First of all have patience with yourself, your wife, and your baby. Having a baby is not just an event, it is the beginning of a process. That process is how you develop…

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