eeds co-star & Saturday Night Live alum Kevin Nealon and his wife, actress Susan Yeagley, are parents to toddler Gable Ness. In his new book, Yes, You’re Pregnant, But What About Me?, Nealon chronicles his experience of preparing for fatherhood in his fifties. We spoke with Kevin about how fatherhood can test your tolerance for placenta, get you a better night’s sleep, and give you cankles.
The Cradle: Given the fact that you became a dad for the first time at age 53, do you think you brought more wisdom to the father-to-be process?
Kevin Nealon: Definitely. I was like a computer that had been lying around for a long time uploading information/wisdom, and when my wife got pregnant, I was able to start downloading and applying it.
The Cradle: What were some of your "sympathy" cravings/symptoms?
KN: Oh my gosh, there were quite a few. Food was a major craving although one of the oddest cravings was Old Spice After Shave lotion. I didn’t drink it, but I applied it in heavy doses throughout the day and evening. Somehow it reminded me of my own childhood and smelling it on my father. I guess in some way impending fatherhood triggered childhood memories.
The Cradle: What were some of your biggest fears during your wife’s pregnancy? And how did you deal with them?
KN: The biggest fear, of course, is whose baby is it really? No, only kidding. It was nobody’s "love child" except for mine. My biggest fear was for the health and well-being of my wife and child. I dealt with those fears as most people would: I stuffed my face with as much food as possible... mostly sweets and carbs. The other fear was whether or not I would be able to withstand the actual delivery of the baby. I’m not good with blood or placenta.
