Dad’s Turn
Bill Williams is in a unique position. He is a son, a dad and grandfather, and a
nurse with many years of experience caring for tiny babies in a neonatal intensive
care unit. He has combined his years of experience in each of these roles into his
program, “Sons to Dads,” which guides new fathers from their first role as son to
their new role as dad.
Bill says he saw the need for a program like “Sons to Dads” as he worked with
new families at the birth of their children.
“As a male registered nurse, working in the newborn nursery and neonatal
intensive care unit (NICU), I soon discovered most of the information about the
baby and the instructions were directed to the mom, with little consideration for
the dad,” he says. “As I researched books, magazine articles and the internet, I
soon realized very little is discussed concerning the role of the father during the
birth and the first few days that follow.” Bill developed the Sons to Dads program
to be offered in two ways: expectant dads can attend the men-only classes held
in the San Antonio Baptist Hospitals, or they can read his book, “Sons to Dads: A
Hands-on Transition Guide for Dads (What you want to know, but know you won’t ask!”
A cornerstone of his program is Kangaroo Care, which entails laying the stable, newly born baby,
dressed in a diaper and cap, on the bare skin of the dad's chest. This skin-to-skin bonding evokes a
powerful closeness and protectiveness in many of the dads Bill has worked with.
“I’ve seen some tough-looking young men break down in tears during their first Kangaroo Care
experience,” Bill says.
His program is not intended to teach a father how to raise his child, but instead equips men with
the tools and knowledge to feel competent in caring for the new baby, and in supporting the new
mom’s needs during the first months after birth.
Bill’s message to new fathers is that they are about to embark on a new role in their lives. He tells
students in his classes, “Your very first title was probably, ‘It’s a boy!’ and you carried other labels
throughout your life: son, grandson, boyfriend, fiance, husband and finally a father-to-be. Now it is
your turn to make the decisions regarding someone else,” he tells them. “As you look toward the not too-
distant future, you may be asking yourself, ‘What kind of a dad will I be?’ The answer: you have a
choice.”
For more information about the Sons to Dads program, call (210) 297-7005, or log onto
baptisthealthsystem.com or to sonstodads.com.
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