Generally, the mother has maternity leave/family medical leave/etc.


What about the dads?? Do you take leave for childbirth/illness/conferences/activities??? If so, how much & do you get flak from your employer???


I remember when I was pregnant with my daughter. I was hospitalized so much that, towards the end, they would forbid my former husband (we were married at the time) from leaving work to bring me to the hospital. I ended up having to stay with my mother when I wasn't in the hospital so that I would be closer should an emergency arise (we lived 30 miles away from the hospital). He was threatened with termination the week before she was born.

He informed his boss that "he wanted to take family leave" and was told that their company "only offers that to women."

Should the father have the same rights as the mother??? On one hand, he is just as much a parent, on the other hand, he isn't the pregnant one & the role is still seen as "Mom tends to baby, Dad works."

my dad gets family leave from his job. actually, while my sister and i were growing up, my dad would be the one to take off to drive us around or to stay home when we were sick. i think all jobs should be like my dad's

I stayed at home two weeks for all three kids. Martha had a c-section each time so she couldn't do anything on her own. Her mother showed up for a week which really chapped my hide! But it turned out peaceful.

When a woman delivers you need to do a few things.

1) Prepare and pack food. Freeze stuff. Make it easy for her to eat when she feels like it. Her stomach is still bent out of shape real bad.

2) Pay no attention to her mood swings. Its normal. Martha would cry silly for no reason because of the post partum stuff. It is a very real phenomenon. Scary for the first time father.

3) Take time off work even if you don't feel like it. Buying baby stuff and making store runs is what you will need to do. Remember, your woman is pretty much off her feet.

4) Don't whine when she doesn't want to to do anything. It's normal. There is a great deal of psychological stress on her at this time. Don't even think about sex.

5) Play nice soft music and avoid using lawn equpment or chain saws. Leave the television on low.

6) Mind the child through the night. Yes, you. If she does it tommorrow will be hell all day long. Every three hours or so change diapers and clean up. If the baby cries let it go. You might as well get used to it now.

7) Make a lot of phone calls. Calls from relatives will make things pleasant. Visits are nice too.

8) Wash clothes every day. Blankets and comforters. Keep the house clean. Vacuum the carpet. If its hot turn the a/c on. If its cold turn the heater on.

9) Buy her some nice new clothes and shoes. Trust me on this one. She'll remember it.

10) Drink a few beers, read a few good books, don't smoke any cigars in the house, and enjoy the baby.

Absolutely, the dad should be able to take some time off if they want. A friend of mine is preggers with their second child, and her hubby will be taking a couple of weeks paternity leave when it is born, as he did with the first. It should definately be an option for men too!!!

definately... like the others said, the husband should be home right after child birth to help his wife. those first couple weeks is no easy chore.