A week ago, our little miracle man was born. For those unfamiliar with our journey, my wife and I struggled with infertility for over three years, during which time we adopted a beautiful little girl in the United States.

Life gets busy, and despite the instinct to nest and collect all necessities before birth, your due date can creep up on you before you know it. Preparing during your second trimester might be ideal, as you tend to have more energy then.

Mother’s Day is next Sunday. Many women say, “Don’t make a fuss about me!” but men, can I say, please don’t take ‘no’ for an answer. The sacrifice involved in being a mother is absolutely staggering.

I can’t explain the despair I felt after having my beautiful baby girl.  It crept up upon me slowly, dealing with losing babies and the anxiety that was caused throughout this pregnancy, until finally, I couldn’t bear to face the day ahead.

Children with dads who are involved in their upbringing tend to do better socially, emotionally, and academically than kids with uninvolved fathers. Research also shows kids with involved dads tend to be more confident.

It was 12:00am on Sunday, the 1st of September — Father’s Day, to be precise. There I was, frantically gathering clothes and bits ‘n’ pieces according to my wife’s somewhat disjointed instruction.  She was roaming about the house with a hot wheat sack across her rather overgrown abdomen. I couldn’t believe it. Had the moment finally arrived? After nine — closer to ten long months, was I finally going to be ...

Emily Holleman a writer for The Cut, – part of New York Magazine’s ‘One Great Story’ section – recently condemned bearing children in the age of the “apocalypse,” selfish. As a committed father of five, I was intensely interested in what she had to say. Holleman’s reflection on anxiety and personal loss in a time of uncertainty is the better part of what becomes an environmentalist “sermon”. An autobiographical piece, the ...

What on earth do I do now? That’s the thought that went through my head. I held my newborn son in my arms, I looked down into his eyes, and in him I saw someone who would be completely reliant on my wife and me for his every need, someone who I could build up or break down by my words and actions, and someone who would love me regardless of ...

Fatherhood; it’s the best of times, it’s the worst of times. Sorry Charles Dickens for stealing your thunder, but it’s true. Being a dad is one of the most wonderful things to ever happen to me, as well as one of the most terrifying. I’ve been a father for 11 years now, which is long enough to be able to reflect somewhat on the journey so far, and also long enough ...

The Dad Dilemma is the title of an article in The Age about the challenges of child birth. Thea O’Connor, the writer, says, “Most Australian men are present and active at the birth of their children. But not everyone believes this is a good thing.” Having been present for the births of my five children, I quickly asked my wife for her opinion. She matter-of-factly stated, “You helped make the baby, ...