No one really talks about the strange limbo before your baby arrives.
Those months when you’re still you —
free to sleep in,
free to go for coffee on a whim,
free to train, travel, do nothing, do everything.
And at the same time, something in you already knows:
this chapter is ending.
A beautiful new one is coming,
but this…
this freedom, this space, this version of your life
it won’t exist in the same way again.
People say “enjoy it while it lasts,”
but that only makes you feel guilty for the moments you don’t.
People say “you’ll never be ready,”
but that doesn’t make the uncertainty quieter.
And maybe that’s why so many soon-to-be parents feel unprepared.
Not because they don’t want the change —
but because the change happens fast.
One day you’re grabbing a last-minute gym session,
and the next you’re holding someone whose entire world depends on you.
It’s beautiful.
It’s overwhelming.
It’s both, at the same time.
Before my first daughter was born, I remember realising how precious those last free weeks were.
Not in a sad way —
in a “this is the last time I’ll experience this exactly like this” kind of way.
So I started making notes.
Not about parenting theories or complicated techniques…
but about the simple things that would help me stay calm,
present,
and grounded when life sped up.
Simple checklists.
Reminders.
Things I wanted to figure out ’before’ sleep became a luxury
and time became something you made, not own.
Those notes eventually became a tiny book
not a manual,
not a lecture,
just the same reminders I wish someone had whispered to me:
”Use this time. Clear the noise. Make room in your mind so you can enjoy the ride instead of rushing through it.”
Because you don’t need a giant list of things to be a good parent.
You just need a little clarity now so you can be fully present later. To trust your instincts.
That’s all the book ’From Zero to Dad’ does.
Nothing fancy — just space.
A little room to breathe.
A small head start before everything changes in the most wonderful (and overwhelming) way.
Yours truly,
HE Gran
Photo by Gabriela Palai: https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-wearing-blue-hoodie-near-body-of-water-433142/
Leave a Reply