Babycue book club: The Expectant Father

Welcome to the first installment of the Babycue Book Club. It's like Oprah's Book Club, if Oprah were pregnant. (Maybe not.) Anyway, our first book is The Expectant Father, by Armin A. Brott and Jennifer Ash.

The Expectant Father walks through pregnancy from the perspective of the father. Each chapter focuses on a month of the pregnancy, outlining what's going on with my partner (Smileycue, the mom), the baby (Babycue), and me (Q, the dad). Topics include emotions, communication, sex, and finances -- in other words, everything we're already discussing. Chapter 2, "The 2nd Month," gave recipes -- helpful for us, given the food allergies that have intensified during the pregnancy. Brott and Ash have a conversational, "you-and-I" style, giving first-person experiences. Sections often begin with "When you..." or "You may..."

Though we're only in month 4 (hello, week 15!), I've skipped ahead to month 6, which has a great discussion about FMLA and creating a family-friendly workplace. The Expectant Father spends significant time addressing the insecurities fathers may feel, advocating for fathers to be involved in the pregnancy. Certainly, I've dealt with insecurities through these early weeks. ("I'm capable of fathering a child?" "Can we afford a child?" "Am I fit to be a father?") Fortunately, friends, family, and colleagues have shared in our joy and offered their support. No one has asked the snarky question, "So, who's the father?" Also, my employer has a generous paternity leave policy, allowing six weeks to be with Smileycue and Babycue.

I recommend The Expectant Father to any other dad-to-be.

PS: Read an excerpt of the book. Armin Brott also has a website.