Workshop teaches new fathers how to bond with their babies

BEING thrown into a world of sleepless nights, dirty nappies and constant feeding after the birth of a newborn turns every new parent’s life upside down.

Mark Cyprien, with daughter Mia aged 16 weeks, took part in a dad and bubs parenting class at South Eastern Community Connect, Eastlakes to help first time dads. Picture: John Appleyard

BEING thrown into a world of sleepless nights, dirty nappies and constant feeding after the birth of a newborn turns every new parent’s life upside down.

While there are plenty of mums’ groups, there is little support for first-time fathers and South Eastern Community Connect at Eastlakes hopes to change this with its Dad and Bubs workshop.

Over three consecutive weeks, dads, grandads and male carers with babies up to nine weeks old can learn the ropes of caring for an infant including feeding, settling, communication, baby massage, play and bonding with your bub.

Mark Cyprien, with daughter Mia aged 16 weeks, took part in a dad and bubs parenting class at South Eastern Community Connect, Eastlakes to help first time dads. Picture: John Appleyard

“This is my first child and I wanted to get it right,” said Mark Cyprien who attended the course with his daughter Mia, now aged 14 weeks.

“I wanted to make sure the time I spent with Mia was really well spent.”

Both Mr Cyprien, who takes Mia out every Saturday, and his partner Anna-Maria are expats from northern England with no family in Sydney.

“It’s very daunting,” he said of becoming a first-time father. “Emotions are high and it can be difficult to talk to your partner.

“We know men don’t talk a lot. Then there is financial pressure, there is a lot of pressure.”

He said the course was “fantastic” and a great way to meet other dads.

New father father at home exhausted and asleep while feeding his newborn baby with milk bottle sitting on a white couch at living room

“There was some really good practical advice. Some of the best advice, I got from the other dads,” Mr Cyprien said. “Great nuggets of information."

One of the best tips for blokes on night feeding duty was to grab a bottle of expressed breastmilk from the fridge before heading to bed and put it in a stubbie holder to keep cool so it was ready for when baby woke up, he added.

The free workshop starts on Saturday, November 5 and runs from 9am-11am for three weeks at Gardeners Road Public School, cnr Gardeners Rd and Botany Rd in Rosebery.

Books are essential. Details: 8338 8506.