Most men appreciate that the focus of perinatal appointments and education needs to be about the mother and/or child. They don’t necessarily want the spotlight to be on them, but many do want to be actively included in the journey, and certainly not left out.
I understand that the majority of attention needs to be provided to the mother and I am supportive of this. However, having a child was still the most important event of my life, and yet I was often ignored completely during preconception consultations, during the pregnancy, and perinatally. Being treated like a member of the team on more occasions would have been valued.
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Why engage fathers?
Many men’s knowledge about preconception, fertility, pregnancy, birth and early fatherhood is limited15 If men are not engaged by the health system during the transition to fatherhood their frustration can leave them feeling uninformed and ill-equipped16 One in five fathers report feeling totally isolated in the first year of fatherhood17 One in 10 fathers experience depression and/or anxiety before or soon after birth18 Men’s preconception health affects fertility and the health of their children19 Opportunities may be lost to prepare fathers for the impact parenthood will have on their lives, and their families If men become engaged, active parents there are likely to be better relationships within their families, improved family wellbeing and healthier child development 20,21,22
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– F ather, P lus P aternal survey participant
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Inclusive language
Ideally, our communication with parents, and people seeking to become parents, should make them feel comfortable and included. A lthough fathers are our focus here, the challenges they face during the transition to parenthood and throughout the perinatal period may well be shared more widely by non-birthing parents, regardless of their gender . U sing gender-neutral terms like ‘ parents’ in relation to families and parenting acknowledges the diversity of families and helps create inclusive environments that recognise trans, gender-diverse and non-binary family members.
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P lus P aternal : Talking to D ads
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