@Chantfire Many congratulations. Its life's biggest adventure.

Expect the mother's personality to permanently change in some ways.

A mother is the greatest asset a small child can have. This is the time in life to support her, so she can do a job you could do if you had to but she can actually do easier, with more joy and probably better at first.

Encourage breast feeding, it really is on balance less hassle for all involved, particularly in the early stages, and a better result.

Women get very risk adverse and micro management obsessed about their babies. Accept this is natural but also be the male energy that complements this by simplifying and encouraging that all will be well. It really makes just about no difference if you feed on demand or on schedule (personally I would say on demand but it won't make your kid a loveless loner if you do it on schedule). If you put one or two blankets on the baby or have a rucksack carrier or a push chair, its all the same. I like to tell the story of my brother and his wife getting their first baby. They both have PHDs, they are professional academics. They could not understand why the baby was behaving like it was too hot when the thermometer reading suggested it needed another blanket. Smart people behaving dumb. Baby has internal thermometer, read it. Humanity survived OK before thermometers were invented.

The big secret to raising good kids is that there isn't one. Kids are programmed to develop well by themselves, provided they get enough love and care. It only needs to be enough, they do the rest naturally. Too much done anxiously is actually a worse result than a B grade effort done happily and confidently. What are you teaching the kid? -That "the world is a big scary place you have to be perfectly set up and protected to handle" or "its a cool place, go explore. I will tell you what to avoid. You will soon learn what happens if you don't listen to my advice and the good stuff is all yours". Helicopter parenting is for fuckwits who deserve a Darwin prize. We learn and grow strong by fucking about and finding out while a parent watches gradually less and less.

There are always hand me down clothes and toys to be had. Kids grow out of them, then you hand them down again. Spend your money on something better. Put it in an account for the kid if you like but don't waste it on gadgets and clothes unless they really are game changers.

Playing in the dirt is far better for them than playing with a screen or a perfectly created toy that leads them in learning. Kids will be directed in learning all through their education. Kids' TV is created to hold their attention first, so the TV company can advertise shit to the mother, then educate a little second. Its not really much use except as a substitute to having something better to do. Let them learn to be interesting by being bored and going to discover what they like.

Find out what they like and foster it, don't worry, it will probably not be what you know. Its a great opportunity to learn something new. You will grow too.

When its hard, remember it will all be over soon and then you will miss it.