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A great paying job, a wonderful wife and a comfortable home, Steve thought he had it all. At first the time he spent away from home was a necessary sacrifice to make sure he and his wife could set themselves up for the future. But once Steve found out he would soon be a dad the time away became harder and harder.
Hard yakka in the mines
Long before Steve and his wife ever thought about having a baby they were happily married in a nice house with great jobs.
Steve was a fly in – fly out worker in the mining industry. He admits that it was long, hard work but the money was awesome and it meant they could afford their lovely home.
“The FIFO lifestyle had its challenges while it was just the two of us but it was nothing we couldn’t work around,” said Steve.
“Throughout the pregnancy those challenges were increased by a thousand.
“My job meant we had great financial stability and security which is important I think when starting a family. But no amount of money is worth missing ultrasound appointments and midwife appointments.
“Because I was away working so much I did miss out on a lot and that is something that I regret now. However, at the time we still needed to keep the money coming in so it was a bit of a necessary evil.”
Just dipping a toe in the water before jumping right in
Steve said that not much had really changed around the house during the first trimester as he and his wife were still getting used to the idea of becoming parents.
“At first I was a bit freaked by the serious life changing experience we were about to undertake but at the same time really chuffed,” he said.
“My older brother has kids and I have seen the way the family rallies together to help him and his wife out when they need it so I knew that we would have plenty of support.
Let’s knock this thing up a notch
Steve remembers the highlight of the first trimester for him, the 12 week scan.
“The first real connection I had with the baby was at the 12 week scan when we got to see her heartbeat and she was moving around a little,” he said.
“I couldn’t believe she was already looking like a little person.
“I really wanted to be at the 12 week scan but was worried that it would clash with my roster and I wouldn’t be able to get the time off.
“I went in and asked my boss and was totally surprised when he told me to take a couple of extra weeks off at that time to enjoy telling everyone about the new baby.
Steve said it was during this time that the reality of the pregnancy and becoming a dad really kicked in.
“It was a real mixture of excitement and fear of the unknown,” he said.
Click here to read Steve’s experiences during the 2nd trimester.
Click here to read Steve’s experiences during the 3rd trimester.
Click here to read Steve’s experiences as a new dad.
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Read about other fathers to be and their experiences during the first trimester. |
