A family’s constant rock and pillar of support, dads of preemies play an important role in supporting their wife and family. This article explains what to expect and how to deal with the oftentimes stressful challenges of caring for a preemie.

Are you a preemie dad?

If you are, here’s a quick note from us to you:

You must feel like you’ve just stumbled upon unfamiliar terrain. You prepared for the day of your baby’s birth but nothing seems to have prepared you for the early arrival of your baby. It’s all overwhelming, confusing and it makes you very afraid – for your wife, for your children at home, for your tiny preemie fighting to survive. Sometimes it’s all too much to handle. Sometimes you feel like you have no control. You might already feel stretched out with all your responsibilities and obligations that you may sometimes be tempted to just shut down, go back to work or go anywhere else to just to be able to escape all these feelings.

Take a breath, dad.

We’re here to tell you that everything you’re feeling is all normal. Running away from any situation that overwhelms us is usually our natural instinct but, as difficult as it sometimes is, processing and acknowledging your feelings is the first step to coping with the many challenges of having a premature baby. Coping day by day might be a “new” kind of normal and you might feel isolated from the rest of the other dads, we can assure you that you are definitely not alone.

According to stanfordchildrens.org, “In the U.S., nearly half a million babies are born preterm. Many of these babies also have low birth weights.” This means that there are thousands of dads out there who are going through the same situation as you and going through the same thoughts as you.

This article is crafted especially for you. We will talk about common experiences as a preemie dad, what to expect and some tips to help you cope. While we may not perfectly capture everything exactly as how you see or feel it, we’ll do our best to create a handbook for you to help you carry through these challenging times. [Read more…]