Expectant fathers have a lot of decisions to make when getting ready for the arrival of their first or new child. Many people create checklists to try and help them prepare, but it is impossible to make ready for every situation or need. There are many decisions during the pregnancy that dads really care about expressing an opinion but some are avoided at all costs.

Here are Five Decisions Expectant Fathers Tend to Avoid:

1. Choice of doctor or hospital - we're not the ones who need to feel comfortable being poked, probed and examined, so why should our opinion matter?

2. Room decor or bedding set - dads want kids to have cool rooms, but the only things we really care about when it comes to decor are how much it costs and the amount of work it will be for us to paint and set-up all of the furniture.

3. Formula or breastfed baby - as long as we can be involved in feeding the baby in some way, we don't really care where the milk comes from.

4. Natural or 'pain relieved' delivery - some dads may quietly think they have a strong position on this leading up to the big day; however, that quickly changes when they get in the delivery room with a screaming mom. In most cases, dads understand that they aren't the ones pushing the baby out, so they really don't have a say about epidurals or pain medications anyway. ... read more >>

This post is the second one in a set of two. To read Alleke's birth story from the beginning, click here.

The next thing I knew another nurse came and loaded up my bed for transfer. We rolled down the hallway, and he tried to make small talk with us as I moaned and made loud noises through each contraction (I think the noises I had been making since my water broke were what scared Kelly the most). By now I definitely felt like pushing, but realized it wasn't the time. Off the elevator, Kelly was pulled aside to put scrubs on, and a midwife walked up and grabbed my hand. She was in process of asking me if it was my first baby when she glanced up and yelled, "Oh, April!". It was Carmen, our midwife from prenatal classes. I'm not sure who was more happy that she was on duty - me or her. ... read more >>