Disquiet Junto 0655 Soothing Sounds II

The Disquiet Junto project this week asks for music for babies.

I'd begun thinking through different ideas and then spoke with my oldest son, who's home from uni for the holidays.

As I explained the Junto project I remembered my attempts to soothe him as an infant.

First-time fathers learn a number of lessons, from how hospitals view them as a liability to feeling inadequate when a baby wants to be fed.

I can't remember how I arrived at this technique but it sometimes worked.

I would hold my baby close and sing while turning on the spot.

The key lesson I would impart to first-time fathers is the importance of skin-to-skin contact at every opportunity.

With my first child I was too worried to hold him, but subsequent kids got stuck to my chest at the first opportunity and it seemed as though they knew who I was much earlier.

It's not easy being a father and working through the changing dynamic from being a couple to becoming a family.

The best thing is to be ready to provide comfort, ensure your partner has a glass of water during breastfeeding and let go of expectations.

That last point is one that becomes obvious as soon as you enter the hospital and the birth plan is forgotten as the staff do what they think needs to be done to cure the pregnancy.

As you become accustomed to being the least important person in the room, you begin a journey that's different for everyone but entirely your own opportunity to revisit your own upbringing with a new perspective.

It's no wonder that many relationships don't survive this shift, so be ready to play a new role and marvel at the little joys as they arrive.

The smell of the newborn; the moment you feel they see you; that first smile; and then the months of teething,

And shit -- so much shit. 

Literal, metaphorical and it's a fertiliser that makes life grow.