Fathers at the end of their rope: A brief report on fathers abandoned in the perinatal situation

Fathers ( N = 18) with one or more children on an NICU were interviewed about their experiences on the NICU. However, fathers insisted on talking about the situation around the birth of their child. Seventeen of 18 births were by Caesarian with only four fathers present. Hospital staff prevented 10 fathers from attending, primarily because the mother was to receive general anaesthesia. Eight of 13 fathers asked would definitely have wanted to be present anyway. In spite of severe limitations, the results show it is probably time again to re-think and systematically research how fathers are treated when the birth of their child becomes complicated.     

Impact of Maternal Activity Restriction for Preterm Labour on the Expectant Father

Objective: To describe the impact on expectant fathers of their partners' activity restricted pregnancies.
Design: Qualitative.
Setting: Private physician practices and two teaching hospitals in a large southern city.
Participants: Self-selected sample of 15 fathers recruited within 2 weeks of initiation of their partners' activity restriction for high-risk pregnancy (phase I) and 15 fathers recruited 1–2 years after a previous experience with their partners' activity-restricted pregnancies (phase 2).
Data Collection: In phase 1, two semistructured interviews during the period of activity restriction and one interview after the birth. In phase 2, one semistructured, focus group interview.
Results: Fathers reported high levels of worrying immediately after diagnosis of their partners' preterm labor and initiation of activity restriction. Later, fathers also reported distress related to responsibility for child care, household management, and maintaining a supportive environment for their partners. Fathers reported few sources of personal support and little or no contact with health professionals during their partners' activity restriction.
Conclusions: Activity restriction during pregnancy may have a significant psychological impact on expectant fathers. High levels of emotional distress may result in family disruption. Systematic nursing assessment and intervention may prevent or ameliorate distress.     

Becoming a father First-time fathers' experience of labor and delivery

In this study, ethnographic interviews were used to identify first-time fathers' experiences of the birth of their first child. Fourteen fathers were interviewed, and prenatal expectations of the experience are compared with the fathers' perceptions after the birth. Although the fathers expected to be treated as part of a laboring couple, they found that they were relegated to a supporting role. Initially the fathers were confident of their ability to support their wives, but they found that labor was more work than they had anticipated. They became fearful of the outcome, but hid these fears from their partners. Later, they found that their focus moved from their wives to their babies at the time of birth. The men all completed the experience with an enhanced respect for their wives. Fathers should be included in labor management plans and need support for their role as coach, particularly when their wives experience pain. They also need to be encouraged to eat and take a break from their wives' labor when appropriate.     

Becoming a Father: First-Time Fathers' Experience of Labor and Delivery

In this study, ethnographic interviews were used to identify first-time fathers' experiences of the birth of their first child. Fourteen fathers were interviewed, and prenatal expectations of the experience are compared with the fathers' perceptions after the birth. Although the fathers expected to be treated as part of a laboring couple, they found that they were relegated to a supporting role. Initially the fathers were confident of their ability to support their wives, but they found that labor was more work than they had anticipated. They became fearful of the outcome, but hid these fears from their partners. Later, they found that their focus moved from their wives to their babies at the time of birth. The men all completed the experience with an enhanced respect for their wives. Fathers should be included in labor management plans and need support for their role as coach, particularly when their wives experience pain. They also need to be encouraged to eat and take a break from their wives' labor when appropriate.     

Paternal postnatal depressive symptoms,infant sleeping and feeding behaviors,and rigid parental regulation: a correlational study

Abstract

Paternal postnatal depression (PND) is now recognized as a serious and prevalent problem, associated with poorer well-being and functioning of all family members. Aspects of infant temperament, sleeping and feeding perceived by parents as problematic are associated with maternal PND, however, less is known about paternal PND. This study investigated depressive symptoms (Edinburgh postnatal depression scale (EPDS)) in 219 fathers of infants aged from 1 to 24 weeks (median 7.0 weeks). Infant predictor variables were sleeping problems, feeding problems and both mother and father reported temperament. Control variables were partner's support, other support and life events. Rigidity of parenting beliefs regarding infant regulation was also measured as a potential moderating factor. Infant feeding difficulties were associated with paternal depressive symptoms, subsuming the variance associated with both sleep problems and temperament. This relationship was not moderated by regulation beliefs. It was concluded that infant feeding is important to fathers. Fathers of infants with feeding difficulties may not be able to fulfill their idealized construction of involved fatherhood. Role incongruence may have an etiological role in paternal PND.     

First-time fathers’ experiences of parenting during the first year

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the experiences of fathers during their first year as parents to fully capture their experiences and transition to parenthood. Background: Becoming a parent for the first time has a life-changing impact for both the mother and the father, yet the factors implicated in the transition to fatherhood have been under-researched. Methods: In this qualitative study using an interpretative phenomenological approach (IPA), 10 first-time fathers were interviewed 7–12 months after the birth of their baby. Results: Two super-ordinate themes were uncovered: experiences during pregnancy and fatherhood – the early days, which are supported by six sub-ordinate themes. Fathers’ narratives can be understood within the theoretical framework of Draper’s Transition Theory; early fatherhood represents the continuation of a man’s transitory journey, which starts during pregnancy. Conclusion: Despite increasing public awareness and socio-political changes affecting paternal parenting culture, fathers still seem to feel undervalued and unsupported when it comes to antenatal support. The antenatal period is a critical time in which to engage with and support motivated expectant fathers; antenatal psycho-education classes can be adapted to accommodate the needs of men. The mental health of the man has an impact on the woman in the antenatal and post-natal periods; addressing the needs of men during pregnancy can function as an early intervention for his family system and could reduce the financial cost to health services in the long term.     

Fathers' Coping Style,Antenatal Preparation,and Experiences of Labor and the Postpartum

Background: In recent years the trend for fathers in Western postindustrial countries to attend childbirth has increased. This study examined the interaction between fathers' information‐seeking coping predispositions and their level of attendance at antenatal classes with respect to their experiences of attending childbirth. Associations between fathers' childbirth experiences, their relationship with their baby, and level of depressive symptomatology at 6 weeks postpartum were also examined. Methods: A quantitative methodology was employed in which 78 fathers completed several questionnaires, some within 6 days of childbirth and others at 6 weeks postpartum. Results: Fathers who were characterized as high blunters (avoiders) of threat information, from antenatal classes reported that experiencing childbirth was less fulfilling than fathers with similar coping styles who did not attend classes. Fathers' reports of fulfillment and delight while attending childbirth were negatively related to their level of depressive symptomatology at 6 weeks postpartum. Levels of distress were associated with subsequent depressive symptoms, but their effect was removed when preexisting depressive symptoms were partialled out. Fathers whose children were born by cesarean delivery used significantly more negative adjectives to describe their baby at 6 weeks postpartum compared with those born by vaginal delivery. More married fathers attended antenatal classes and reported lower levels of depressive symptomatology than unmarried fathers. Conclusions: Although fathers' attendance at antenatal classes may have positive consequences for them and their partner, for some fathers, attendance at classes may be associated with less positive reports of experiencing childbirth. The way in which men experience childbirth may have some influence on their subsequent emotional well‐being.     

The psychological effects of stillbirth and neonatal death on fathers: systematic review

OBJECTIVE: To review the available evidence on the psychological effects of perinatal death on fathers. METHOD: Electronic search of CINAHL, MEDLINE and PsycINFO databases from 1966-2005. Inclusion criteria: papers describing at least one psychological outcome for fathers who had experienced stillbirth or neonatal death. Exclusion criteria: papers not in English, dissertations, reviews, books without original data, intervention studies, studies of parents without separate results for fathers, studies where perinatal loss was not distinguished from other losses, first person accounts of a single experience, studies reporting on fewer than five fathers. Seventy-seven potential papers were obtained and screened by two authors. Seventeen studies were included. Study quality was rated using a checklist and main findings were summarized. RESULTS: Quality of methodology varied. Qualitative studies described classical grief responses, but less guilt than mothers. Fathers described experiences related to their social role and potential conflict between grieving couples. Quantitative research reported symptoms of anxiety and depression, but at a lower level than mothers. Fathers may develop post-traumatic stress disorder following stillbirth. DISCUSSION: Case prevalence of psychological disorders is unknown. More good quality research is needed. The social role of fathers as carers for their partners needs recognition when planning care for bereaved families.     

Meeting the challenge of new fatherhood during the early weeks

OBJECTIVE: To explore new/subsequent Australian fathers' perspectives on the experiences, processes, and life changes in the early weeks of fatherhood. DESIGN: Interpretive study using in-depth interviews and grounded theory analysis techniques, based on a symbolic interactionist framework. SETTING: Participants were recruited from the postnatal wards of a major public hospital, early discharge program, and early childhood centers in southeast Queensland, Australia. PARTICIPANTS: Eighteen first-time/subsequent fathers interviewed 6 to 12 weeks after the birth. RESULTS: Although rewarding, fathers found new or expanding fatherhood to be a significant challenge and time of change. Major themes included making a commitment, taking responsibility, negotiating responsibilities, developing and maintaining relationships, maintaining family integrity, balancing activities, and perceiving the self as father. Work had a major impact on fathers' ability to participate with their family and newborn. To manage, fathers sought to balance the demands of work and home, deal with stressors, manage their time, develop routines, and reprioritize. Fathers developed a sense of themselves as fathers over time, building confidence and deriving satisfaction from their fathering role. CONCLUSIONS: A range of competing factors affected fathers' ability to participate in the home with their newborn in the early weeks after birth.     

Outcomes of Father Involvement in Pregnancy and Birth

: To test the assumption that father involvement in pregnancy and childbirth results in more positive birth and fathering experiences, 40 primiparous couples recruited from childbirth education classes and obstetricians were studied. About two weeks before their due dates each mother was asked to rate her marital closeness and her husband's interest in children. These couples were observed for one hour in mid-labor. Then mothers and fathers were interviewed about one week after the birth. Fathers who were more involved in terms of their wives’ reports of prenatal marital closeness gave generally more positive reports of the delivery and the new baby. Fathers who were involved in terms of their wives’ estimates of their interest in children were rated by observers as interacting with their wives less during labor. (BIRTH 10:1, Spring 1983)     

Parent Visiting and Participation in Infant Caregiving Activities in a Neonatal Unit

ABSTRACT: Background: Active parent involvement in caring for their infants in the neonatal care unit is thought to improve parent‐infant attachment and to moderate the psychological stress for parents, but few recent studies have examined parent visiting patterns and participation in infant caregiving. The study purposes were to describe the frequency and duration of parent visiting and participation in infant caregiving activities, and to identify parent and infant factors associated with parental participation. Methods: Parental visiting frequency, duration, and participation in social, cleaning, and feeding activities with their infant (n=110) were recorded on 12 days during a 3‐month period in a tertiary neonatal unit. Results: Mothers visited more frequently (85% vs 45% of possible days) and for longer than fathers, and visited less frequently if the infant had other siblings, if the infant was over age 1 month, or if fathers made fewer visits. Fathers visited less frequently if the infant was over age 7 days and more frequently if the mothers visited more frequently. All mothers and most (96%) fathers carried out social activities, such as talking, stroking or holding, during their visits. Over 75 percent of mothers engaged in infant cleaning and feeding activities during visits in contrast with less than 20 percent of fathers. Mothers’ participation in infant feeding was best predicted by the duration of their visit and their participation in infant cleaning. Fathers’ participation in infant feeding was only related to their participation in infant cleaning. Conclusions: Significant differences were found in this neonatal unit between mothers’ and fathers’ visiting patterns and infant caregiving activities. Neonatal unit staff should consider factors that may influence parental visiting and explore strategies to improve parental involvement in caregiving. (BIRTH 30:1 March 2003)     

Fathers’Birth Attendance,Early Extended Contact,and Father-Infant Interaction at Five Months Postpartum

ABSTRACT: Forty couples and their 5-month old infants were observed in their homes in a study of the relationships between fathers’birth attendance, early extended contact, and involvement with their babies at five months postpartum. Fathers who were excluded from the birth were more involved with their babies, in the presence of their wives, than were fathers who attended births. The three aspects of early extended contact that were found to be significantly associated with fathers’caregiving and social involvement at five months were time of first contact, length of first contact, and total hours fathers spent with children in the hospital. The implications for research and for policy concerning early father-infant contact are discussed.     

Insight from a breastfeeding peer support pilot program for husbands and fathers of Texas WIC participants.

A Father-to-Father Breastfeeding Support Pilot Program conducted by the Texas Department of Health provides a model of a viable way to increase breastfeeding rates in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC Program). The pilot concept was based on previous success with a breastfeeding peer counselor program and research documenting the father's attitude as an important influence on a mother's decision to breastfeed. Peer dads are fathers of breastfed infants participating in the WIC Program. They are recruited, trained, and hired to give breastfeeding and parenting information to other WIC fathers. WIC fathers rated the information they received as "very important" and indicated that counseling sessions would help them support their infants'mothers with breastfeeding and be better fathers. Breastfeeding initiation rates increased at clinics employing peer dads. Father-to-father breastfeeding education was successful in educating and empowering fathers, enabling them to support their breastfeeding family members.     

Experiences of Fathers Shortly After the Birth of Their Preterm Infants

ObjectiveTo explore the experiences of fathers shortly after the birth of their preterm infants.Design/MethodA focused ethnography conducted over 33 months (2003–2006) in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of a large U.K. National Health Trust (NHS) teaching hospital. Data were collected through participant observation, in‐depth interviews with fathers (n = 10), and an ethnographic survey distributed to NICU staff (n = 87). Practices and relationships with fathers were concurrently analyzed thematically through the conceptual perspective of emotion work.FindingsFathers’ emotional reactions to their experiences were described in three themes: emotional withdrawal and control, stereotyping, and mixed feelings. Fathers’ emotional behaviors were governed by complex, culturally determined conventions and expectations.ConclusionsFathers engaged in considerable effort to manage their emotions as they attempted to reconcile the tension between what they wanted to feel and what they thought others expected them to feel. The results of this study support the view that focusing on emotional externalities alone tends to underplay the amount of emotion work carried out by less expressive individuals; this “silent emotion work” was characteristic of the fathers in this study.     

Integrative Review of the Factors That Influence Fathers’ Involvement in the Breastfeeding of Their Infants

Objective

To integrate research findings related to the factors that influence fathers’ involvement in the breastfeeding of their infants.

Including expectant fathers in antenatal education programmes in Istanbul, Turkey

In this article we present the results of three studies investigating methods for including men in antenatal education in Istanbul, Turkey. Participants were first-time expectant parents living in low and middle-income areas. After a formative study on the roles of various family members in health during the period surrounding a first birth, an antenatal-clinic-based education programme for women and for couples was carried out as a randomised, controlled study. Based on the results, separate community-based antenatal education programmes for expectant mothers and expectant fathers were tested. There was demand among many pregnant women and some of their husbands for including expectant fathers in antenatal education. In the short term, these programmes seemed to have positive effects on women and men's reproductive health knowledge, attitudes and behaviours. In the clinic-based programme the positive effects of including men were mainly in the area of post-partum family planning, while in the community-based programme positive effects among men were also seen in the areas of infant health, infant feeding and spousal communication and support. Free antenatal education should be made available to all expectant mothers and when possible, men should be included, either together with their wives or in a culture such as that of Turkey, in separate groups.     

Understanding fathering in Britain today

This research set out to investigate the parenting beliefs and practices of modern day fathers living in Britain today. The aim was to gain a better understanding of what 'being a father' means to parents and to what extent can there be said to be a 'common model' of fatherhood across Britain. Findings show that whilst fathers and mothers acknowledge the expectation of fathers to become more involved in childcare duties, many parents tend to hold more traditional views when it comes to the division of the childcare vs breadwinner responsibilities. Attitudes to fathering and actual fathering behaviours have been shown by our study to be influenced by a complex web of factors, with socio and economic life circumstances exerting the greatest influence on greater paternal involvement. The study found that there are far more similarities in the behaviours of fathers and their attitudes to fathering than there are differences. In the context of modern day Britain, fathers are facing similar challenges in their role as parents, giving rise to a common model of fathering within which fathers are facing similar challenges in achieving their ideal fathering role.