Helping expectant fathers communicate with their children

Prenatal attachments between mothers and fathers are often different. For the child-carrying person (usually the mother), the emotional bond with the infant before birth is maintained by the biology of pregnancy. Hormonal changes, baby movements (“speeding up”), and a growing belly all contribute to pregnancy. its development. . Emotional bond with the child. Her growing body also alerts the outside world that she is expecting a baby, and many cultures have many social practices that recognize, respect, and support her mother’s role. There is a belly giving up your seat to a bus passenger, parking next to a grocery store, or eliciting a smile or a kind word from a stranger. On the other hand, the non-carrier parent (father or mother’s partner) is an outside observer of the child’s intrauterine development. Pregnant fathers also experience prenatal hormonal and physiological changes that support postnatal parenting behaviors (Saxbe et al., 2017), but these changes are not visible to others and thus pregnancies Men in the middle are less socially aware of their status than pregnant women. Also, prenatal bonding is a slower process for the father than for the mother. The prenatal bond between father and child tends to increase as pregnancy progresses (Habib & Lancaster, 2010), and the father’s own mental health (e.g., depression, anxiety; Cameron et al., 2016) and mother’s depends on your relationship with Your child (Ahlqvist-Björkroth et al., 2016). Debunking misconceptions about the importance of early father involvement But when fathers-to-be have the time and space to talk, they have a lot to say! He said he has a growing sense of responsibility for However, the social narrative has not kept pace with these expectations, as fathers are increasingly expected to participate actively in the pregnancy and postnatal care of their newborns. As children may mistakenly believe that their role as a child only begins in adulthood (Dayton et al., 2016). In particular, fathers who strongly believe in the importance of early fatherhood for the health and well-being of their young children are more likely to feel a strong emotional bond with their children before birth (Dayton et al., 2019), so it could be better. The postpartum care of the baby is fulfilling, too. Father involvement improves child development The findings are clear: When fathers are more involved in their children’s lives during pregnancy, they improve their health – better prenatal, birth and neonatal health – and lower health care costs per child. (Alio et al., 2010; Salihu et al. et al., 2014). For some mothers and fathers in the United States, such as Detroit, where maternal and infant morbidity and mortality represent a public health crisis, paternity involvement is literally an institutional race that kills black mothers and babies. It can reduce the negative impact of systemic factors such as discrimination. So how do men bond with their children and what can they do to support them? It’s starting, and this research suggests ways to help with that. Conclusion: Father involvement has important and lasting effects Involvement of the father during pregnancy improves baby outcomes. Fathers form early prenatal kinship with their children who support their upbringing after the baby is born. Improving paternal care during pregnancy can reduce the negative impact of racism, poverty and violence on maternal and child outcomes, especially in communities with high child mortality and morbidity. Programs and policy makers can help prenatal fathers and children by creating prenatal spaces that involve fathers, implementing early intervention programs for fathers, and enabling fathers to participate in existing programs. relationship can be supported.