Raising Violet – The Daddy Diaries 

How to prepare for The Big Day

By: Anthony Hayes

Is the big day steadily approaching? Have you packed YOUR bag for the stay in the hospital? Forget what you see in the movies. 

With the advent of modern technology chances are you will not have to storm out and race your way to the delivery room. I know how you feel. I was disappointed I wasn’t able to display my NASCAR evasive maneuvers either. You probably had the route mapped out to the ER door and an alternate route, just in case. Sorry to ruin that for you. 

Doctors can practically pinpoint the time of day your spouse will deliver your new baby. We were induced. So it was a waiting game. Like the feeling you get unwrapping the new golf club on Christmas morning. There is no clever way to wrap the oddly shaped gift but you anticipate opening it all the same.

It is a good idea if you can, as we did, to have someone available to bring anything you may have forgotten at home. Have a spare key available, and give it to someone willing to help, like a family member. 

Eventually when you settle in a bit you are going to get hungry. Anything will suffice. Even if you are not into fast food like me, a good burger, fries, and a soda will taste like a 5* meal at this point. 

Don’t forget your phone chargers!

Bring phone chargers so you can keep loved ones in the loop if you choose to do so. Even if it is just immediate family, send a group message to let them know you are alright. 

The birth of your child will bring as much joy into your life as he or she will for others. Even strangers can’t help but stop and admire the introduction of a new life into what can sometimes be a cruel, cruel, world. It truly is a blessing.

Get to know the names and faces of all your nurses on every shift. Nurses are the lifeline in a hospital. The days of assisting a doctor wearing a pointy hat, with a red medical symbol are over. 

Aside from typical ‘nursely’ duties they are  caregivers, therapists, providing you with everything you need to make your stay as pleasant and enjoyable as possible. 

Chances are you have a great group of ladies (and gentleman) at your beckon call 24hrs a day. Yes men are nurses too! If you’ve seen the film starring Ben Stiller “Meet the Parents” you know this to be true. After all, “Focker here’s a nurse.”

Doctors get paid a healthy salary. In excess of $200k according to glassdoor.com. One of the specialists we visited earned a significant amount more at a whopping $624k! Just you wait and see your nurses actually do EVERYTHING, not getting paid nearly as much! What a shame. 

Eventually the Doctor will grace you with his or her presence just in time to catch your little one. So don’t be concerned. You will be in good hands till then. 

He or she will leave just as quickly as they arrive so make sure your birth plan is in order prior to the delivery. I bet you are asking yourself “What the hell is a birth plan right?” Here is an example. If you want to earn some brownie point with your girl surprise her by printing one out! 

_your welcome  

“Control the controllable, as for the rest Keep on flowing…Just be.”

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