By J. McCurdy-Crooks, Contributor 
Leroy Coke believes all fathers should play a significant role in the lives of their sons. Here he takes time out to go over his son Ramone's school work. - Norman Grindley /Staff Photographer
HAVING A baby is one of life's greatest events for most people. Yes, even men have that yearning to nurture a child. But are you really ready for a baby, or for another child if you are already a parent? Continue reading, and try your hand at some of the quizzes to see if you are 'ready to be a baby father'.
So guys, you have met the perfect woman, and now you want to start a family, but are you truly ready for the role of being a responsible father we are not talking here about those men who are basically 'sperm donors', we are talking about the real thing, men who want to play an active part in this child's life from conception to well, you get the
picture.
The website, http://www.indiaparenting.com/preco/data/ takes it from the beginning. The information here provides advice to men on maintaining a healthy lifestyle to assist in the transition from husband to future father. Some foods are said to provide vitamins and minerals which are important for 'optimal reproductive functioning'. For instance Vitamin C is said to reduce the risk of damaged sperms, and Zinc aids in sperm production. Improve your fertility with added doses of calcium and Vitamin D. This is especially important as between 30 per cent - 40 per cent of infertility problems a couple faces are due to the male. For more information, make sure to visit the above-named site.
Jonathan Beckenstein, writing on the topic, 'Women Have Showers, Men Have Storms or The Rocky Road to Fatherhood' on http://alwaysourchoice.com/rock.html notes that, "Every father-to-be regardless of personality, style, sexual orientation, method of fertility or adoption, or the kind of relationship he is in, is equally vulnerable to a bit of inner turmoil." The article addresses some of the emotional issues that men face as they prepare for the role of becoming a father, whether for the first time or not. Some of the issues that expectant fathers sometimes
grapple with, according to the writer, are:
His relationship with his own father
The reliving of childhood
trauma
A re-examination of one's life, such as values and goals.
Some sites have a number of quizzes that one can use to judge whether or not one is ready to have a baby, although geared towards women they can be used by men to gauge their readiness to test uncharted waters. Visit http://womencentral.msn.com/babies/articles/preconception_0416.
asp and http://www.babynet.com/
tools/. Or how about some funny to-dos that may prepare you for all that having a baby entails. See below for a sneak preview, but visit http://www.lctn.com/
humor/babytst.htm for more.
Excerpts from http://www.lctn.
com/humor/babytst.htm:
Smear peanut butter on the sofa and curtains. Now rub your hands in the wet flower bed and rub on the walls. Cover the stains with crayons.
Go to the nearest drug store. Set your wallet on the counter. Ask the clerk to help himself. Now proceed to the nearest food store. Go to the head office and arrange for your paycheque to be directly deposited to the store. Purchase a newspaper. Go home and read it quietly for the last time.
For additional reading on preparing for fatherhood visit http://www.kidsdirect.net, http://www.ukparents.co.uk/archives/father.shtml and http://fatherville.com. In addition to planning for an unborn child, many men have to deal with a mother-to-be who seems like the total opposite of the person he knew. Jovial persons can become moody and complaining, not to forget those unusual cravings at odd hours of the night, the weepiness, and all the other complications that can accompany
pregnancy. It is for these reasons and more why it is not possible to be completely ready for a baby, but despite it all, have fun and prepare as best you can for that little extension of you.
