My DH has NEVER held a newborn baby, I'm talking under a month old. He's held plenty of older babies (nieces, nephews etc). I think he's less afraid once they can hold their own head up!
With our baby coming in September I worry he will freak when he has to hold it, but people tell me its very common that the first newborn a male holds will be his own!
Did your DH/SO hold a newborn before your first child? If not how did he handle his own?
64 votes
hostess / wonderful apple seed / 16729 posts
We don't have any kids yet but he has held a couple newborns. His step sister was born a couple years ago and he held his god daughter (from his best friend) when she was born last year.
GOLD / squash / 13464 posts
Hubs had held newborns... But certainly not many. He will tell you though how amazed he was at how quickly he got comfortable holding our baby girl. He was nervous at first but probably within about 48 hours he was an old pro.
pear / 1642 posts
Neither of us have held a newborn before! I think the youngest baby ive ever held was a few months old (maybe 4?) On our hospital tour, my DH asked the consultant if the nurses will show him how to hold our daughter. Poor thing is terrified. I think it's kind of cute that he's so concerned 
cantaloupe / 6791 posts
10 weeks pregnant now and I can safely say DH probably will not hold a newborn before our LO arrives. The youngest baby I've ever seen him hold was 6-9 months old.
honeydew / 7283 posts
Neither of us had! The learning curve is so steep with the first baby - everything is new! DD was 5 pounds when we brought her home and we got comfortable with holding her very quickly.
GOLD / wonderful grape / 20289 posts
He held his niece. I only held one newborn too before lo. It was a friend of dhs baby but he was too nervous to hold her.
cantaloupe / 6630 posts
He used to hate holding babies, but was absolutely great with A from day one! He said she seemed much sturdier than other babies, but I think it's just because she's his. Your DH will be fine!
cantaloupe / 6171 posts
hmm he didn't meet our older niece until she was 3 months old...interesting question, I don't think he has!!
wonderful grape / 20453 posts
He held his niece a little but pretty minimally! He's a pro now 
pomelo / 5820 posts
He hasn't held any newborns. I think the youngest baby he has held was 6 months. I've held probably 4 newborns.
nectarine / 2220 posts
My husband is obsessed with holding babies. Baby meet and greets soon after the birth are fairly common in our circle, and if he gets a hold of that baby, he's hanging onto it. Even when people come up and are trying to be polite about also wanting to hold the baby and say "Oh, I can take him/her from you", he'll just be like "No, I'm ok" until I have to tell him that he needs to share...
GOLD / wonderful pea / 17697 posts
Yeah, he loves holding babies. He has 4 nephews. He held the oldest in NICU (born at 30 weeks).
grapefruit / 4085 posts
My husband had held his nephews when they were babies, but Lady M was the first baby I ever held, EVER!! Now at 4 months, it's like old hat.
bananas / 9118 posts
Our nephews were born a year before our son, so we both got some good practice in before his arrival.
GOLD / pomelo / 5737 posts
I think he held my friend's newborn so I voted yes but I can't really remember. We did visit them in the hospital and I think he did briefly. Don't worry about it..there's lots you'll both have to learn and it's fine!
GOLD / wonderful coconut / 33402 posts
He held his nephews. Never changed a diaper before though till he changed R's first one.
pomelo / 5469 posts
Yes, he has held babies, changed diapers etc. he has less fear than me!
papaya / 10570 posts
Never mind my DH, I've only held one newborn before - and it was for about 5 minutes!!! The baby in question (my BFF's baby) was about 5 weeks old when DH held him and he held him like a rugby ball (lol) - but he had the biggest grin on his face, it was so cute!
clementine / 896 posts
He held his nieces, both born a few months before our first child. He was scared though haha. But when our son was born he had no problem holding him, he'd scoop him up and hog him. 
wonderful olive / 19353 posts
Hubby has held his nephew when he was a newborn and maybe his lil cousins when they were born. He refuses to hold other people's baby's until their older like 6 months! I'm confident hubby will hold his own just fine with our LO in August! I'm already smiling from ear to ear just thinking about it and how cute it'll be!
bananas / 9899 posts
I'm probably not pregnant yet, but my DH has not held a baby or even been around babies at all. Should be interesting one day when he has his own.
grapefruit / 4442 posts
I had a csection and while I was waiting to be taken out of the OR he was able to go to the NICU and he held and fed her before I did. I wasnt able to hold her until the next day.
honeydew / 7909 posts
DH has 6 nieces and nephews so he's had his share of baby holding. But he isn't comfortable holding them.
Although.... he's never changed a diaper!!
coconut / 8472 posts
I'm due in November, and DH held a newborn for the first time a week ago. My friend just had a baby and we all made DH hold him, lol. He actually really liked it for a while. Then got kind of panicked because the baby was laying in his arms one direction and he needed to set him back in his bassinet and it was facing the opposite direction and DH didn't know how to turn him around, lol.
ETA: isn't he cute?
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21628 posts
My DH has held only one baby, who was 9 months old. He doesn't like holding babies because he feels like everyone is staring at him and he gets nervous. The only reason he held the one is because I placed him in his arms without asking. The baby had been staring at him and reached for him.
pear / 1998 posts
@MrsCB: Aww so cute!
We were opposite - I had never been around newborns until I started dating DH. But he has tons of nephews and nieces, so he was a pro.
cantaloupe / 6730 posts
Never. I think the youngest was 4 mo. For that matter, I've never held a newborn except for a few minutes. Should be interesting!
pineapple / 12802 posts
Yes! He's so good with babies and kids. Before his two boys were born he babysat for a family friend all the time. 
pomegranate / 3516 posts
We have a nephew so he had held him before. He was super nervous with him but he seemed more relaxed with LO. Our nephew was also the first newborn I had held as well.
pear / 1664 posts
Yes - my husband is an oldest with siblings much younger than him, and also has many younger cousins (and those cousins now have kids). So he has a lot of baby experience. Me, I've never changed a diaper before, and only held my first newborn a couple of years ago when my best friend had her baby. Glad to have at least one of us with some experience!
pomelo / 5228 posts
I think I handed him his first a few years ago! Visiting our niece at 1 week old helped too Hes held a handful or so now.
nectarine / 2994 posts
Dh had only ever held his nephew (who is now 2 years old) but he was pretty awkward doing it! He was ALOT more comfortable holding lo when she was born.
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