Congratulations and welcome to fatherhood! You've stayed by your wife’s side through her pregnancy and now it’s time for you to fulfill your role as a father. Being a parent for the first time can be a daunting, overwhelming and much like finding your way in the dark. However, here’s to making fatherhood slightly less stressful more of an exciting experience is to do it as a couple. Check out eight essential steps you want to follow as a new father:

Physical Contact: Seeing your baby for the first time can be an overwhelming experience. Don’t shy away from holding the tiny person for the first time. Skin-to-skin contact is crucial for the baby and your bond with the child as a father starts the moment you hold the baby close to your body.

Ask For Advice: You may feel clueless about many things when it comes to bringing by a child. You learn on the go and if, at any point you feel like you don’t know to make things work, always ask for advice!

Make Time: Some father-baby time is a must. Make sure that you spend some alone time with your child to get the hang of taking care of it while your wife gets some rest.

Do Chores: Have an active and equal involvement in housework. Help with daily chores and making meals. As a couple and as parents, you two are equally responsible for the housework and for raising your child.

Proactive Bonding: Volunteer to change nappies and bathe your baby to not only ease the load from your wife but also bond with your child. As you’re doing that, talk to your baby. Talking helps your baby to recognise words and the meaning of each.

Support Your Wife: Help your wife through the feeds by getting comfortable making the bottles, sterilizing them and also feeding your child when required. If your wife is breastfeeding, make sure she feels comfortable - this can be by getting her a pillow or even a glass of water.

Be The Husband: A critical part of being a great father, especially during the early months, is by being a great husband to your wife. You want to be there for your partner while she is experiencing emotional ups and downs results from the postpartum depression. You too may experience bouts of mood swings at some points. Make sure you can support each other through this to bring up a happy child in a loving home and maintain good family health.

Time Management: Master your time management skills. Even if you may not get paternity leave, you want to divide your time between your family and your work so that you can be there for the baby when the mother needs to rest.

Family Health: Baby’s health is important but so is family health. While focusing on giving the best care and attention to your baby, make sure to concentrate on yourself too. Regular meals, an adequate amount of sleep and a little personal time every day can be very helpful in reducing the stress of fatherhood.

Accept Help: Ask for advice and when help comes knocking at your door, invite it in graciously and open arms. Take all the advice and help you need from your friends and family when you feel fatherhood is getting slightly overwhelming.

Finally, your role as the father also involves pursuing appropriate financial planning. Get the BEST HEALTH INSURANCE IN INDIA to provide the best family healthcare as a father and maintain good family heath.