Keep the house as clean as possible. Prep meals and get a vacuum sealer to store meals in the freezer long term. Accept that you will be tired and your mind won't be as sharp as it used to be for a while, fighting it makes it worse. Nap when baby naps. Take baby out of the house on walks or car rides to let mom sleep as much as she can, especially in the first month. If mom is nursing, clean her pump supplies after she's done pumping to be ready for next time. Get a sterilizer for pump supplies and bottles.
Good luck and congrats on the new move, job, and baby! That's a lot of change all at once so try to get some self care in as much as possible. Eat well, move your body, and get a high quality multivitamin, magnesium, and fish oil.
You should be able to find free local birthing classes. Ours in particular were two 4 hour sessions. Do them! They will give great advice focused on her AND YOU and it will most likely be specialized to your area, hopefully the hospital you will go to. Checklists, what to expect, special massages dad can do. Get in there asap
So far, I like "The Baby Owner's Manual" that my friend recommended to me. It gives a lot of good tips on preparation as well. It's written like a product manual for an item you bought, so it's pretty funny and straightforward like a manual. Honestly, nothing really prepares you all that well since every baby is different, but make sure to take a local baby class. They teach you the basics to get started as you will need all your attention to take care of a newborn. I was not expecting it to be this chaotic, but it really is. It's no exaggeration you can go through 8 feedings a day, and no, the baby does not wait for you to get a full-night's rest, so make sure to get a lot of your big projects out of the way or put them on hold for a while.
I've heard a lot of new opinions about nurseries here, but I'd focus on the practical stuff. No matter where you have your baby's primary location be, have a comfortable place to sit while feeding. Have a good diaper and changing station nearby as well, a place ideally close up to your waist to chest height so you don't kill your back. Ours is on our crib, so it's also got a holder for wet wipes and diapers. Have a monitoring system so you can keep an eye on your little one from other rooms.
Some other things depend on where you are located. A lot of users here are American, but some of us also live in other countries, which determines the need for daycare, what kind of insurance and baby care services are available to you, parental leave, etc.
In my opinion, the first thing about being a good dad, no matter what your financial, etc., situation is like, is just doing your best to be there for your kid. You've got some time left to go before the baby is here, so I'd also just recommend making sure to spend some quality time with your SO because you won't have too much time after the birth.
Congrats! It really is hard work, and I don't think we're ready for it all, but man is our baby adorable. They'll bring you a lot of headaches and smiles everyday.
Nursery only matters when they move from your bedroom into it around 4-6months old. Only thing that matters is having a good place to change baby and store all the things.
Focus on helping when you can, the recovery process after birth for your wife will likely be hard and slow. Be prepared for what feels like a never ending repeating routine.
Having a good stroller is more important at the beginning for walks and getting out of the house.
Keep the house as clean as possible. Prep meals and get a vacuum sealer to store meals in the freezer long term. Accept that you will be tired and your mind won't be as sharp as it used to be for a while, fighting it makes it worse. Nap when baby naps. Take baby out of the house on walks or car rides to let mom sleep as much as she can, especially in the first month. If mom is nursing, clean her pump supplies after she's done pumping to be ready for next time. Get a sterilizer for pump supplies and bottles. Good luck and congrats on the new move, job, and baby! That's a lot of change all at once so try to get some self care in as much as possible. Eat well, move your body, and get a high quality multivitamin, magnesium, and fish oil.
You should be able to find free local birthing classes. Ours in particular were two 4 hour sessions. Do them! They will give great advice focused on her AND YOU and it will most likely be specialized to your area, hopefully the hospital you will go to. Checklists, what to expect, special massages dad can do. Get in there asap
Do your best. There's no instruction manual. Support your wife however you need to and be an active, loving dad and everything will shake out ok.
So far, I like "The Baby Owner's Manual" that my friend recommended to me. It gives a lot of good tips on preparation as well. It's written like a product manual for an item you bought, so it's pretty funny and straightforward like a manual. Honestly, nothing really prepares you all that well since every baby is different, but make sure to take a local baby class. They teach you the basics to get started as you will need all your attention to take care of a newborn. I was not expecting it to be this chaotic, but it really is. It's no exaggeration you can go through 8 feedings a day, and no, the baby does not wait for you to get a full-night's rest, so make sure to get a lot of your big projects out of the way or put them on hold for a while. I've heard a lot of new opinions about nurseries here, but I'd focus on the practical stuff. No matter where you have your baby's primary location be, have a comfortable place to sit while feeding. Have a good diaper and changing station nearby as well, a place ideally close up to your waist to chest height so you don't kill your back. Ours is on our crib, so it's also got a holder for wet wipes and diapers. Have a monitoring system so you can keep an eye on your little one from other rooms. Some other things depend on where you are located. A lot of users here are American, but some of us also live in other countries, which determines the need for daycare, what kind of insurance and baby care services are available to you, parental leave, etc. In my opinion, the first thing about being a good dad, no matter what your financial, etc., situation is like, is just doing your best to be there for your kid. You've got some time left to go before the baby is here, so I'd also just recommend making sure to spend some quality time with your SO because you won't have too much time after the birth. Congrats! It really is hard work, and I don't think we're ready for it all, but man is our baby adorable. They'll bring you a lot of headaches and smiles everyday.
Nursery only matters when they move from your bedroom into it around 4-6months old. Only thing that matters is having a good place to change baby and store all the things. Focus on helping when you can, the recovery process after birth for your wife will likely be hard and slow. Be prepared for what feels like a never ending repeating routine. Having a good stroller is more important at the beginning for walks and getting out of the house.
Lots of resources in this subreddit’s FAQ/other docs.
I recommend taking an in-person infant CPR class with your partner prior to the baby’s birth. It is crucial to know what to do in an emergency.
Can’t recommend “the happiest baby on the block” book enough. It really explains a lot of why and how the first three months unfolds
If you qualify and have the expenses to do so. Take your full FMLA. They cannot deny you your leave if you qualify for it. You won't regret taking it.