The Everything Father-To-Be Book: A Survival Guide for Men

Here are my qualifications: I'm going to be a first time dad, and I am a Registered Nurse. I would also like to say that although I liked this book I think the author didn't live up to the title of the book. This is definately not The EVERYTHING fathers to be book. I'll explain, Read on. The good about the book: It spoke in language that is easy to understand, and is a quick read. I also found that it deals with some of the emotional challenges that men will face during a pregnancy such as: What if I'm not meant to be a dad, my life is over, I'll never be able to do... I love the glossary in the back which I feel has some decent resources. The book for the most part is practical, and gives good advice in most cases. A solid book to START WITH.... The Bad about the book: There was one section where the author mentioned in passing that women can have an occasional alcoholic drink after discussing it with their physician. Where I have heard of physicians approving of an occasion alcoholic beverage while pregnant (a co-worker of mine said her physician told her an occasional drink was OK) I just can't say I approve of it AT ALL... Why take any risk if it's not necessary? The author did correctly state that men shouldn't be drinking like fish during their wives pregnancy (on a personal note I have chosen to not drink along with my wife in support of her). My problem is not that the author misrepresented anything; my issue is with any use of drugs (including cigarettes) or alcohol with pregnancy. Why leave the door open for anything to go wrong when it isn't necessary. I also thought the author could have been a little more thorough in a few spots (mainly the stages of labor). Bottom Line: My honest over all opinion is that this is an adequate book to start with for a new dad. However, please don't think that this is all you will need to know. This book should only be the tip of the ice berg. You need to go to classes, read other books, and if possible talk with men who are doing it the right way right now. The nice thing is the author gives you some of these resources in the book. I personally feel all future dads need to take birthing classes with their mate, attend as many of the appointments as possible, and take parenting classes if you can afford it. One thing you need to read about is the stages of labor. This book does an inadequate job in this area in this nurses perspective. All in all a good first step. Just not enough, you need more.

Contrary to what some of the other reviewers have written, I did not find this book to be negative at all. For example, one reviewer said, "...the writer suggests that most marriages end in divorce so fathers should bond with the child while they can!" What the writer actually does is mentions the well-known statistic that half of all marriages end in divorce. He then suggests ways for men to improve their relationships with their wives and ways for them to strengthen their families! This is not a negative book at all. This is an honest look at fatherhood with helpful advice and important information. My husband got a lot out of this book and I recommend it for any fathers-to-be.

While recently visiting a first-time-pregnant friend, I picked up this book and couldn't put it down. And now that I'm expecting, it's the first book I thought of to give to my fiance. The advice is practical, the insights honest, and, while the same can hardly be said for most books I've seen that are aimed at MOTHERS-to-be, it never felt judgemental. Feelings are validated, multiple viewpoints are covered, and the author doesn't compell you to buy out a furniture and/or toy store to feel that you will be a successful parent. I highly recommend it.

I had to write this review as I saw this was being totaly badmouthed by other wives. The book is honest, to the point and easy to understand. My husband does not want to hear all the medical terms but he wanted to know what was normal for him and I to be going through. I agreed with most of his comments and advise. As far as the negative comment from other reviewers about the dad going home to rest, it is just a suggestion, and not always a bad one. These books open the dialog for the mom and dad to discuss how they want to handel it. I did not feel like the author was insensitive at all. This really helped my husband and it was a quick painless read for him and made him more involved in the process.