From Vincent Iannelli, M.D.,
Your Guide to Pediatrics.
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About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by Kate Grossman, MD

Some parenting books, magazines, and website articles focus on new moms, leaving the new dad and his role as a parent out.

Fortunately, many more take a more generic approach to providing advice to new parents, which either a new mom or dad can identify with. Since many dads take on very active roles in caring for their babies, they are just as likely to want to learn about colic, baby vitamins, skin rashes, etc.

In addition to learning about all of the basic parenting skills, like changing diapers, comforting a crying baby, and giving their baby a bath, new dads should figure out their role in their new family.

A Father's Role

Conflicts can arise when a dad has very different ideas about what role he wants to take in caring for his new baby and what role is expected of him. If he thinks nothing in his life is going to change and he can still go to the gym every day or spend his evenings "out with the guys," but Mom was expecting an equal parenting partner to help care for their new baby, then they are likely going to have some problems.

Although there are a lot of different ideas of what a good father is, dads can get off to a good start by:

• learning how to take care of their new baby
• being supportive of breastfeeding
• spending a lot of time with the family
• sharing parenting duties equally
• having a plan for the family's financial future, which can include a will, life insurance, disability insurance, etc.

In a baby's first weeks and months, it can sometimes be most helpful if a father takes on the majority of household tasks. This leaves more time for Mom and baby to be together.