The rest of year one
From about four months the baby becomes recognisably a person and the daily grind eases. What tends to get harder is everything around it — the relationship, the money, your friendships and your sense of who you are. That shift is the normal shape of the first year, not a sign something's gone wrong.
What changes
- Sleep improves, then breaks again around four months, then improves again. This is developmental, not a failure of your routine.
- Solids start somewhere around six months on most current guidance — messy, slow, and not really about nutrition at first.
- The baby starts preferring people. Being one of the preferred ones is earned through hours, not biology.
What gets harder
Relationship satisfaction commonly drops in the first years after a baby — the widely cited Gottman figure is around two thirds of couples. See the roommate phase.
Boundaries with family come to a head once the newborn shield wears off. See in-laws and boundaries.
Going back to work brings a guilt most dads don't expect and don't talk about.
Sources
Every figure on this page links to its primary source. If one is out of date, tell us and we'll fix it.