A first-time dad six weeks from his due date opens up about what the third trimester really feels like. Tony Cooper sits down with Jesse Ganes to talk through the physical and emotional shifts of late pregnancy, the conversations he's having with friends and family about how life is about to change, and the parenting choices he and his wife Emma are making before their son even arrives. They cover screen time boundaries, the science behind a changing "dad brain," sleep deprivation, division of labor in parenting, and why protecting couple time now matters so much.

Key Takeaways

• Screen time boundaries are a conversation worth having before the baby arrives, not after
• Pregnancy changes what a couple can physically do together, and renegotiating that takes patience
• A father's brain physically changes to respond differently to a baby's cry, according to research Jesse's been reading
• Telling friends without kids that the relationship will change, but won't end, sets healthier expectations
• Community and local parent networks (including a "semi active" dad group) become a real resource
• Sleep deprivation is often less about the sleep loss itself and more about the judgment attached to it
• Protecting couple time during pregnancy builds the foundation for the family that's coming

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Connect with Tony Cooper: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thetonycooper/

00:00 Cold open
00:29 Meet Jesse Ganes
01:17 Six weeks from the due date
02:10 What feels real right now
03:04 Talking about screen time early
05:16 Two becomes three
06:08 What pregnancy changed physically
09:49 Trusting your body through pregnancy
11:06 Hormones and a happy pregnancy
13:45 Getting his head around the change
15:01 Talking to friends without kids
17:42 Parenting in Brooklyn
19:20 Finding the dad group
20:38 The "Dad Brain" book
22:41 Re-parenting yourself
26:13 Learning not to lose it over messes
28:15 Surviving on no sleep
30:23 What's new this generation
32:00 Filtering baby gear from noise
33:31 Advice for a couple just starting out
36:26 Closing thoughts