02/06/2026
Dear dads,
She needs you. She needs you like she’s never needed you before. Birth is beautiful, and also it’s tremendously hard. Her placenta has left an open wound the size of a dinner plate in her uterus. Her body has been stretched, torn, and is full of hormones. She’s trying to figure out nursing and/or pumping, all while sleep deprived and with a crying newborn to care for.
This is not the time to prioritize work. This is not the time for you to level up in your video game, or to make plans with the guys. This is the time for you to show the mother of your child that you truly have her. Cook the meals. Notice when the kitchen is messy and clean it without her having to ask. Fill her water bottle, do the laundry, take the dog out. Please show her that you love and respect her by not just your words, but by your actions. You are capable of caretaking and being a true partner to the woman who just birthed your child. Your support can make or break her postpartum experience.
You are now a father. What a wonderful, beautiful thing. Be the diaper changer, car seat expert, the baby bath giver. Know your baby’s cries, which blanket they love and their favorite song. Show your baby what it means to be a strong, loving, caring man. You get to help write the story of your family: how happy you are, how close you are, how well you work as a team.
Postpartum is a short season in the story of your life, but it’s a chapter that she will never forget. Please be present, please be intentional. Please show up well. She needs you and your baby needs you. You don’t have to do it perfectly, and you don’t have to do it alone. You’re also going to need support. I just want you to know how much of a difference you can make.
Gatheredandwise.com 🌿
