Men's Week

I really enjoyed Men's Week on CJane.

I especially liked her brother's entry, "Taking Care of Your Wife in Labor", and Jim Rowberry's entry, "Taking Care of Your Wife During The Postpartum Phase".

Here are a few of my favorite exerpts:


from Christopher Clark-

Gentlemen, here are some other things not to do during the birthing process:

DO NOT

1. Say things like 'Wow, this takes forever!"

2. Text updates to friends and family every 15 minutes about how this is "taking forever."

3. Sing songs about wearing red pajamas, or even whisper "oh, we'll all go out to meet her."

4. Eat those cups of crushed ice they give your wife (EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE SO TEMPTING)

5. Forget what your baby looks like. They will eventually wheel your baby into a big room full of babies who look just like yours. Mothers could tell a difference, but you can't. You better figure out which one is yours or you can be charged for negligence in some states.

6. Complain about the color of your hospital bracelet.

7. Sit in the waiting room and smoke a big cigar (EVEN THOUGH IT IS SO TEMPTING)

8. Make comments if your baby's head is misshapen or the skin is blotchy. That's normal for babies, what's your excuse?

9. Bring your other children to see the new baby wearing mismatchy outfits and messy hair. Your wife will charge you for negligence.

10. Assume you know how much childbirth hurts (UNLESS YOU HAVE HAD A KIDNEY STONE.)


from Jim Rowberry-

When your wife gets the post-partum crazies, don’t tell her she is crazy, listen and don’t overreact. Be patient. Everything will normalize with time. It’s okay to smile and nod.

Six weeks means six weeks. No paper chains or countdown calendars. You know what I’m talking about.

A man is not a man if he can’t provide his family with a hot meal and clean clothes. Little Caesar’s 5 dollar pizza does not count. Clean the house, do the dishes, and bathe the kids. If you need to, rely on paper plates. Don’t be an ignorant husband. You can learn how to use the washing machine and the dishwasher. It’s manly, I promise.