Hello and welcome to our first ever Dad Chat!
What is Dad Chat?
Well since joining Instagram over 2 years ago I have spent a HUGE amount of my time not only promoting our little biz but also getting to know a lot of other InstaMums. I have loved reading and following along on their journey through pregnancy and motherhood. It's been wonderful hearing their stories and being able to relate when it comes to certain thoughts and experiences that no one really can prepare you for! Sometimes motherhood can feel lonely so it's good to know there is someone else out there going through the same thing.
Recently though it did get me thinking, what about the Dad's? I know they must be out there too but are they sharing their stories and what parenthood has been like for them? So instead of just asking myself, I thought I'd find someone to answer all the questions I had...an InstaDad. Brett Hooker is that Dad. He has a loyal following on Instagram (@fifo.dad) and when you see all the pics of him with his two gorgeous girls, Lailah and Zaylee it's easy to see why! Brett willingly took on the challenge and opened up about his journey into parenthood and gave his advice for first time Dad's.
Q: You have two beautiful girls, were you in the delivery room for both of their births? If yes, what is your favourite memory from that time?
A: Well both girls made pretty dramatic entries into the world! Unfortunately I wasn't there when Lailah was delivered because she was an emergency c section and Rach had to be put to sleep for that! But I was there as soon as she was delivered and was the first to have a sneaky hold. But my favourite memory from that birth was seeing Rach hold and feed her for the first time in ICU.
Zaylee was a much more peaceful labour and Rach managed to have a vbac after her! It was a pretty stressful experience but it was so amazing to experience. My favourite part from that birth would be seeing Rach have her dream of a natural birth like she had dreamt! Sadly Zays lungs were weak when she was born so she was taken to a special care unit at another hospital but was able to come home after a week.
So they were both fairly dramatic but really great experiences to have all three of my girls healthy and happy today.
Q: How did you feel when you held them for the first time?
A: Completely and utterly in love.
Q: What were the first few weeks/months of fatherhood like for you?
A: Amazing, Lailah was born on the same day my brother passed away and having her took my mind off the sadness and she was a real light to our whole family.
Q: What is it like being a father to daughters? Do you worry about certain things in particular that they may have to deal with when they’re older?
A: I love having daughters, they’re so fun yet loving! I would have to say I worry about them growing up and meeting boys when they’re much much older haha but I’m hoping they take after there mum and bypass all the partying in their teen years.
Q: What is one of your funniest parenting fails?
A: This is a recent thing, we have changed to cloth nappies and I had no idea what I was doing, trying to flush a cloth liner and nearly blocking up the toilet system is no joke!
Q: Given the type of work you do which requires you to be away a lot, how do you cope/manage when you miss certain milestones?
A: I always make sure I’m home for the girls milestones, I check months in advance to make sure I’m not working as I never want to be a dad that wasn’t there for them. We FaceTime a few times daily and Rach is always sending me photos and videos so as hard as it can be being away from them I make sure I am there for them daily.
Q: How would you describe your parenting style? Are you a hands on, happy to play dress ups kind of Dad or more of a serious, disciplinarian type Dad?
A: I am not serious at all, I would definitely say I’m a fun dad always happy to play, draw, give pony rides and just generally goof around and that suits me just fine. They’re only young so there’s not a lot to be serious about.
Q: Did you always want to be a father or was it a role that you had to adjust to initially?
A: As soon as I met Rach I knew we would end up having children together, it definitely happened sooner than I imagined but I have loved every minute of it.
Q: Do you think that father’s get the support they need during parenthood, particularly in the beginning?
A: I would say yes and no, I had a lot of love and support around me from my partner obviously but I would say that outside of your immediate family if you don’t have other Dad friends you can become a little isolated.
Q: If you could give any advice to a first time Dad, what would it be?
A: Don’t overthink fatherhood, it will all come naturally!
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed a little insight into Brett's world. If you're not already, make sure you check him out on Instagram @fifo.dad for your daily dose of adorable father daughter moments. All images courtesy of @fifo.dad.
I can't wait to share more Dad Chats with you all. Until next time...
Amy x