This Saturday was different from regular ones. We opted to go for Parenting education arranged by our City Ward Office. This was more geared towards husbands and teach them how they can also contribute when a new born comes into this world. They also shared few more lessons with us.
1. They explained by showing a scientific basis that how a baby hears you from inside the womb. The video encouraged that dads also talk to the baby inside the womb so that he/she readily recognizes dad'S voice as soon as comes out of womb. They also shown that a baby opts for Mom in case of hunger and feels peace when mom speaks. In case of dad the baby is trying to say that I am ready to play with you and feels active and playful with Dads....Hence the dad should talk to the baby from 4 months onwards inside the womb....
2. A mother gains at least 10 KG (3 to 3.5 Kg of baby) when pregnant. Hence they made me tie a 10 KG weight over over my body and made me walk, lie down with head facing upwards, side by and asked me to get up.
Also told me to pick a fallen thing from ground with that weight on me. Really this made me think that its not that easy to be a mother and induced more respect towards women by this experience.
3. Then they introduced us how to bathe a baby. In Japan they encourage that this responsibility should be taken by dads which will give mothers some break. They first gave us the demonstrations and then asked dads to perform it with a baby doll exactly of same size/weight of a 1 month baby.
I must admit 7 min bathing nearly broke my back and made me realize that I must exercise more. Actually we were using a table and it a small bath tub. Because of my height I had to lean more at around 50 degrees which really strained my back. They also taught us how to change the baby diapers doing which was not comfortable for the first time :) . But it was a pleasing experience.
4. During the pregnancy period due to tremendous hormonal changes in the body, the feelings/emotions of to be mothers can change abruptly. She becomes more emotional hence this has to be understood by "to be fathers" and balance this accordingly.
This small 3 hour class helped us envisage what exact things we will be doing when this angel comes in our lives in couple of months. This goes as message to our angel "We are impatiently waiting for you and we are very excited to welcome you in this world". Few years back I couldn't even imagine in my dreams about what I am doing recently and I must admit this is a pleasant natural progression in my life from being a boy to being an adult/bachelor, husband and now towards parenthood. Sometimes doing these things looks silly but these are the things which are source of happiness in lives. More things to learn.
In the world where the nuclear families are increasing, these City Ward office initiatives and husbands also taking roles in parenting, would make lives of mothers a bit easier and will make this world a better place. Its cool to be a dude, its cooler to be a "ToBe Dad" :)
Thought of sharing this who already know and learn more and
thought of sharing with whom who will/should soon experience it :)
I am well aware that there is no single "manual" which can teach us parenthood, but sharing the real experiences can bring us good information which might help others too. In the world where everyone now turns up to Google First rather than asking someone, these kind of informations also should make way on the internet.
P.S
(Sorry for sharing silly photos above :))
