A new father’s bold post about the things he wish he’d been told before the baby’s arrival is striking a chord with others online.
Imgur user joltjones recently became a dad for the first time and, like most parents, had done plenty of research in advance of welcoming the life-changing arrival. However, also like most parents, he found the reality to be a whole other kettle of fish.
So, in an effort to help other new parents be less blindsided by their own imminent arrivals, he shared a list of new bits of knowledge online – and even had his wife join in.
New arrivals: An Imgur post written by a new father imparting recently gained wisdom has been viewed more than 250,000 times on the site
‘Babies are strong as s***,’ he started, adding: ‘It’s amazing how particular someone who’s hours old can be.’
For point number three, he wrote definitively to expectant parents: ‘You’re not ready.’
Other revelations included in the dad’s list include ‘you’re gonna cry… deal with it,’ ‘be ready for a nurse to explain how wrong you are about something’ and ‘be patient.’
He also pointed out that after mom pulls off the miracle of birth, ’emotions can and will get the better of her,’ so always ‘go to bat’ for her.
As for the user’s wife, she threw in ten of her own observations from the early days of motherhood, starting with the unexpected revelation that she actually misses her belly and adding: ‘Pushing is no joke.’
Top to bottom: In the post he includes a number of things he said ‘I wish someone had told me’
Post-birth thirst and keeping a barf bag in close proximity were also things she wished she had known about in advance.
Some of her points overlapped with that of her husband, including ‘listen to your nurses,’ and ‘hormones will get you… if you feel like crying, do it.’
Stocking up on sleep during pregnancy, asking others to wash their hands and holding the baby ‘every chance you get,’ are also in her list.
After finishing the points, the user wrote that the couple had welcomed their son Jack on December 14, writing: ‘We’re happy, he’s healthy… and the three of us are about to go home and start this new adventure.’
Joining in: The poster’s wife also included her top ten list of things she wished she had known
Inspired: The post encouraged other parents to chime in with their own pieces of advice
In addition to the words of advice, he also shared an image of his hand, with a tiny, wrinkled foot resting in his palm.
The post, which has been viewed more than 250,000 times, encouraged plenty of other parents to pop out of the woodwork with their own sage nuggets of wisdom.
‘First, congrats. Second, best to send a used baby blanket or other piece of clothing home early for pets to smell and get comfortable with,’ wrote one helpful reader.
Another added: ‘As first time parents you will waste lots of money on baby gadgets that either won’t work for you or the baby or you never use.’
Others encouraged the new dad to savor the early moments – because things are only going to get tougher.