Q: Best books for Dad?

Posted Thursday, November 08, 2007 11:18 AM

Q: My baby is due soon, and somehow my husband seems more stressed than me! Any book recommendations for him?

A: Yes! The four below are our favorites...

The New Dad's Survival Guide: Man-to-Man Advice for First-Time Fathers
by Scott Mactavish
A personal favorite of our Online Director Bump Kate, this funny and straightforward guide covers all the basics. Scott(who's been through it twice!) keeps things light, and knows how to take the edge of first-time fatherhood.
> Get it now! $12.99

Don't Just Stand There: How to Be Helpful, Clued-In, Supportive, Engaged & Relevant in the Delivery Room
by Jon Lichtenstein and Elissa Stein
This step-by-step guide through the big day is written by a husband and wife who've been through it together -- twice. You'll find info on what's happening with her and the baby during every stage of delivery, as well as tips for keeping her (and yourself!) calm.
> Get it now! $12.95


Be Prepared: A Practical Handbook for New Dads
by Gary Greenberg and Jeannie Hayden
Perfect for a guy, this guide is funny, solution-oriented, and -- just like the title says -- totally practical. It substitutes funny illustrations for all the superfluous info found in so many other book. And, it's been looked over by AAP members for accuracy.
> Get it now! $14

Keeping the Baby Alive till Your Wife Gets Home
by Walter Roark
Take a break from those high-pressure, info-heavy guides with this hilarious read. This satire will help you put things in perspective, and offers some simple and practical advice along the way.
> Get it now! $14.50


What's your guy's favorite book? Leave it in a comment!

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Posted by Paula K
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Crawling: a Father's First Year

This has been my husband's favorite book so far...  :)

From Publishers Weekly

In spite of all the fine children's books he'd written and illustrated (Magic Thinks Big; Dance!), Cooper always knew, deep down, that he didn't really like children "in person." Parents were worse. Parents were people who used to have interesting lives, but now spent their waking hours discussing how tired they were. Adults without children dined in marvelously relaxing restaurants; parents ate in horribly plastic places featuring "mac and cheese." The very act of becoming a parent—that "miracle" of his wife giving birth to Zoë—was frightening; as he said, "I'd call 911 but we're already in a hospital." In loosely chronological essays, Cooper describes his experiences taking Zoë to the local cafe, to playgrounds, to the petting farm or to "baby night" at the movies. Before long, he started to relax. He learned to give her diaper a surreptitious sniff and not make a big deal of it. Rather than complain about Zoë's outfits, he learned just to change them after his wife left for work. While he always found something new to worry about, he also realized it didn't matter, since he was so totally besotted with this dear child. With a delicious sense of humor and remarkably graceful phrasing, Cooper's journal is a gift to all new parents—especially the guys. (Sept.)

Posted by LisaThakker    Monday, November 12, 2007 9:32 AM


re: Q: Best Books for Dad?

My hubby isn't a big reader.  He usually gets half way through an article in a magazine and gets bored.  He LOVES "The Caveman's Guide to Expecting"  Not only is it in "man terms" but it also covers everything.  He's now telling me healthy recipe's we should try, idea's for the nursery, what pain relievers and labor options we should think about and is asking the doc more questions than me.  It's really gotten him involved in the pregnancy.

Posted by Tash13    Friday, November 16, 2007 8:23 PM


Pregnancy Sucks for men

My husband LOVES this book- and I've read some of it, too- it's hilarious, and really helps guys feel like a part of the pregnancy.  It's easy to read, and there's one chapter for each month.  My husband has been keeping up with my pregnancy this way- it's been great!

Posted by uoflnicole03    Thursday, January 24, 2008 7:22 AM


re: Q: Best books for Dad?

The Caveman’s Pregnancy Companion.  My husband read this cover-to-cover in just two days after we found out we were pregnant.  It's funny but still very helpful for dads-to-be with lots of questions.

Posted by chandrab    Monday, October 27, 2008 7:57 AM


re: Q: Best books for Dad?

My Boys Can Swim - my husband doesn't like to read in depth books either but cracked up reading this one.  It's not informative regarding babies, but it definitely gives him a guide to dealing with us pregnantzillas.  

Posted by caroly713    Friday, November 07, 2008 8:43 PM


re: Q: Best books for Dad?

My husband has been reading the book 'Dad's Pregnant Too!' & I've read a few things from it occasionally- it's got good advice (from multiple people, not just the author) as well as an online site/forum to check out & it has a bit of humor so you don't get bored. So far we've really enjoyed it the most out of the dad books we've been reading!

Posted by purdybooshka    Saturday, May 16, 2009 2:25 PM


re: Q: Best books for Dad?

Another satirical book is "What to Expect When Your Wife is Expanding", which plays off of the "What to Expect" books for women. My husband is currently reading it, chuckling every so often, and sharing some of the tidbits... While it may not have completely useful tips/info, it does put the humorous spin on a time during which we all get bogged down with details, fears, concerns, and so on.

Posted by Annie4581    Friday, August 21, 2009 8:43 PM


re: Q: Best books for Dad?

I'm still not sure how involved my hubby is cause he doesn't much talk about it.  I hope these book ideas help.

Posted by tamsynandmac    Thursday, August 27, 2009 5:58 PM


re: Q: Best books for Dad?

My husband is also reading My Boys Can Swim. He's not a reader, but likes that he is getting good info on my pregnancy, too. In fact, sometimes he talks like he is the expert. "You are going to gain a lot of weight, but that's ok because it is healthy for the baby."

Posted by KristaSuz    Sunday, October 25, 2009 10:20 AM


re: Q: Best books for Dad?

My Fiance is reading a book called So your going to be a dad! He really likes it! Its funny and it give you Advice on just about everything! When we started looking at furniture and I didn't have a clue he already knew what we should be looking for! I highly recommend this book!!

Posted by emilyk33    Monday, October 26, 2009 5:23 PM


re: Q: Best books for Dad?

My husband isn't much of a reader but he is loving "The Everything Father-to-Be Book" and is always eager to share things he's learned from it.

Posted by michkev    Tuesday, November 03, 2009 2:09 PM


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