You would think new dads are the same around the world but they are not!

Aussie dads, Sam Holt and Troy Jones (Being a Dad DVD) have gone global with an American version of their ‘dad-umentaries’.

After a two month tour of the US filming great stories of pregnancy and birth with new dads in New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, Chicago, Las Vegas, San Diego and Boston.

As a result of the research and filming for their new programming, they found some interesting differences between first time Aussie dads/mums and first time dads/mums in the US.

Differences they discovered include:

• A very small number of mums in America breastfeed
• American dads report far fewer American mothers suffered morning sickness or cravings
• There is no pain relief gas for American mums
• There is a far higher caesarean rate in America (60%) compared with 22% in Australia (apparently not one doctor who has performed a caesarean in America has been sued successfully)
• Fewer American dads tried breast milk than Australian dads
• American dads are far less likely to smack their children
• Australian dads feel the financial pressure on new parents is much greater than American dads
• Australian parents are much more open and honest about miscarriage
• Australian parents are much more likely to swear
• American dads are bigger sooks with several American dads crying in every filming session; not one Australian dad cried

There were also a lot of similarities between first time dads in both countries. They all have:

• A desire to spend more time with their kids than their dads had with them
• Fear, and the pressure of not being able to provide for their families
• A realisation of how big the task is their partners face
• A fear of an unhealthy baby
• Being a dad is a roller coaster ride of emotions
• Shock and horror at episiotomy
• Worry about their relationship with their partner surviving

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