Share your tips on helping your partner prepare for a new arrival - win a ticket to Babyfest 2016!! NOW CLOSED

[RebeccaEMumsnet]

So you've probably read every book on the subject and been posting on Mumsnet since you were TTC. The baby is coming and you're as ready as you'll ever be.

But what about your OH? If you feel your DP or DH isn't quite as prepared as you are what do you think they need to know about labour, birth and beyond? Or, if you've been through it all before, what advice do you wish had been shared with your partner at the time - or what wisdom might they give with the value of hindsight?

We're looking for your tips on how they can help you prepare for the big arrival, and what they'll need to know when you go into labour; how they can be helpful in the delivery room and what you'll want them to do once the baby is finally here.

Everyone who posts comment on this thread will be entered into a prize draw where one Mumsnetter will win a ticket to Babyfest 2016.

What is Babyfest?

If you're a new parent (or soon will be), then you need Babyfest! Mumsnet's one-day boutique baby event has everything you need for birth and beyond.

Unsure what to pack in your hospital bag? A bit worried about breastfeeding? Or simply in need of a good old pampering session? When it comes to babies, we’ve got every angle covered.

A ticket to Babyfest gives you access to a full day of expert talks on breastfeeding, weaning, sleep and more. Drop in to practical classes - covering everything from first aid to baby bathing - and get hands-on with product demos, as well as enjoying free pampering sessions and a glorious goody bag full of essentials (and treats) for you and your newborn.

Find out more about Babyfest - and book now.

Standard Insight T&Cs Apply

DON'T give him any books to read, each baby is individual and since my DS has been born, not one of the books have been opened.

Definitely keep an open mind on your parenting techniques and be prepared to have quite frank discussions with your partner on what is best for your baby.

Be a team, you're in this together, not against each other. It can be hard enough at times without a "who is more tired war"

My OH read Commando Dad How to be an Elite Dad or Carer then came with me to NCT classes - a little bit of info (maybe more than some other new dads) made him really confident.

Coming to the 36wk antenatal appointment where we did a birth plan and he got his head round where he needed to be was great too - its the first time ive seen a flicker of emotion from him when we were talking about baby and mum skin-skin contact for the first 30minutes or more.... I hadnt given him credit for wanting to do that straight away himself.

haha, would love to be a member of the dinosaur family for the next few months! DP is great in terms of supporting me and being an advocate but finds the books a bit offputting (especially Oliver James, How Not to F* them Up' his censoring, not mine about attachment parenting). Maybe I should try and find Commando Dad at the library.

the most helpful thing so far has been talking through what on earth a birth plan is and what we'd put on it, not that we expect it to be followed but now he has a clearer sense of what he can/should say and do and what the various drugs do (in bad and good ways)

surprisingly to me, he seems quite up for the idea of going to babyfest. i'm not sure it's worth it tbh but perhaps the talks will be more engaging than trudging through those week-by-week tomes.

I am now in my second trimester with my first. To prepare my husband I read out useful passages from my baby bible book or from the app that I use, to keep him informed on where things are at and where things will go. In general the long-term 'preparation' is really that I say to my husband that we are adding a new member to our team, and that it won't stop our lives, just that we'll have someone else along for the ride, not that he needed reassuring, just that it makes the new responsibility we'll have more exciting, thinking about all the things we can do. Preparation for the birth is that my husband will do all the listening and talking for me and make sure that I am well looked after and that he will question anything if things don't go to plan to make sure we make the right decisions.

Tell him you pregnant 😃

It's not my job to prepare my partner for a new baby, he's capable of preparing himself. We read 'Commando Dad' together which was brilliant.

Get him to watch the film Parenthood! LOL

Just trust him. Tell him to support baby's head and then you can relax when he picks baby up!!!! Hopefully they aren't too clueless ☺

Thanks for all of your comments.
The winner of the prize draw is SweetPeaPie29
Congratulations, you've won a ticket to Babyfest!

For those who didn't win this time. we have a flash sale on tickets until midnight tonight - you can get 50% off the ticket price by using the code BabyfestFlash50.

Click here to get tickets.