Dads in Japan with little or no Japanese how did you manage after having a child?

I’m curious to hear from other dads in Japan who didn’t have much Japanese ability (or basically none) when they had their first child.

How did you handle things like:

• Hospital visits, pregnancy checkups, delivery, and all the related paperwork
• Day-to-day communication with doctors, nurses, and city offices
• Childcare, nursery/kindergarten, and school communication later on
• Supporting your partner when you couldn’t fully understand everything that was going on

Did you mostly rely on your spouse, translation apps, friends/family, or did you just learn as you went?
Was there anything you wish you’d known or prepared for in advance?

For context, I’d say my Japanese is “so-so,” but now that my wife is pregnant I’m honestly feeling a bit worried and stressed about what’s coming. For example, I recently couldn’t follow a meeting with a life insurance company at all, which was pretty discouraging.

I am actively studying (up to about 5 hours a day) and aiming to pass N1 this summer, but in the meantime I’d really appreciate hearing real experiences what worked, what didn’t, and what helped reduce stress for both you and your partner.

Not looking for judgment or “just learn Japanese” takes genuinely trying to learn from others who’ve been through this.