Men have slowly but surely become more involved in everything related to raising a child and a modern day father will often be tasked with changing diapers and feeding or bathing their child on a regular basis.
Fatherhood has definitely evolved and yet there is one phenomenon that many still think is exclusive to a pregnant mother, which is the urge to “nest” when the delivery date draws closer.
It now seems that expectant fathers are also prone to this behavior pattern when fatherhood is close to becoming a reality. Daddy nesting can take various forms. It might be that that they clear the yard in preparation, or they might decide to order some new seat covers from Shear Comfort for example, so that the family car is comfortable and ready for the new arrival.
Mothers it seems are not alone in getting that urge to build a nest as it were, so here is a look at the phenomenon of daddy nesting.
Keeping their precious cargo safe
A prime example of daddy nesting is to choose a safe family car or to review the current safety features in their existing vehicle.
A common theme amongst nesting fathers is to decide that now is a good time to review their transportation needs. A sporty model simply doesn’t seem right it seems, once fatherhood approaches, drawing expectant fathers to a family wagon like never before.
Becoming a parent changes your sense of responsibility and dads-to-be realize that they need a car that will accommodate a car seat and give them enough space for all the bits and pieces they will be carrying around when traveling with a baby on board in the future.
Nesting habits around the house
The nesting urge can strike fathers in all sorts of different ways and some of them might seem trivial, but in the eyes of an expectant daddy, they matter.
Although a baby will not be wandering around the house or the garage for some time to come, a pending arrival tends to focus the dad’s mind on how to make sure their tools and equipment are safely stored and maybe get rid of any items that are no longer required, if their man-cave is going to become family friendly.
If you are a father awaiting the birth of your first child, you may also find yourself staring at everyday objects like the garbage can, and wondering whether you need to get a bigger one that will cope with extra waste like diapers.
All in the hormones
Many of us understand that pregnant women will be heavily influenced by their hormones at certain times throughout their pregnancy, which is perfectly logical when you consider that a mother’s estrogen and progesterone levels can be up to three times their normal level with a baby on board, but dad’s hormones also get affected.
It seems that certain pheromones emanate from the mother’s sweat glands, causing the fathers testosterone levels to drop and his prolactin hormone to rise, which stimulates his paternal instincts.
This means that if you are anxiously awaiting the birth of your child, your body is taken over by the same sort of instincts that expectant mothers feel and you are being mentally prepared for the excitement and responsibilities of parenthood.
Time for construction
If you are a nervous father-to-be waiting for the big day, your nest building instincts will almost certainly fill you with an irresistible urge to start building what you need for the new baby.
Building the cot and putting up those extra shelves will be something you positively want to do, as your nesting instincts take hold.
Lewis Hutchinson is a new Dad who works as a life coach. Having a newborn in his life has changed his outlook on some things, and he is taking his first-hand experiences into consideration when coaching others, particularly men on the road to Fatherhood.