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Midnight Wakeups
Dear MrDad: We have a newborn and my wife
and I are both exhausted. Who do you think should
take care of the baby when he wakes up at 3 a.m.?
Do both of us have to suffer?
A: If your baby wakes up in the middle of
the night hungry, and your partner is
breastfeeding, you might as well stay in bed and
let her take care of things. Sounds pretty boorish,
but really and truly, there’s not much you can
do to help. In fact, your sleeping through the
feeding may actually benefit your partner. That way
you get a full night’s sleep and you’ll
be fresh for the 7 a.m. child-care shift, and
she'll get to spend a few more precious hours in
bed.
If, however, your baby is being bottle-fed, do
your fair share of the feedings. You might want to
work out a system in which the one who does the 3
a.m. feeding gets to sleep in (or gets breakfast in
bed.)
Sometimes, though, your baby wakes up for no
other reason than to stay awake for a few hours and
check things out. In this situation, you and your
wife can split the child-entertainment duty or stay
up together and see what’s on late-night TV.
It's a great way to catch up on those shows you
missed when you were a teenager.
©2008, Armin Brott
* * *
It's clear that most American children suffer
too much mother and too little father. - Gloria
Steinem
A
nationally recognized parenting expert, Armin Brott
is the author of Blueprint
for Men's Health: A guide to a health
lifestyle,
The
Expectant Father: Facts, Tips, and Advice for
Dads-to-Be;
The
New Father: A Dad's Guide to the First
Year, A
Dad's Guide to the Toddler
Years, Throwaway
Dads, The
Single Father: A Dad's Guide to Parenting without a
Partner and Father for
Life. He has written on parenting and fatherhood
for the New York Times Magazine, The
Washington Post, Newsweek and dozens of
other periodicals. He also hosts “Positive
Parenting”, a nationally distributed, weekly
talk show, and lives with his family in Oakland,
California. Visit Armin at www.mrdad.com
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