Interactions
“They made me feel seen, heard and listened to.”
The perinatal system is set up to place birthing people and their babies at its centre. Whilst the centrality of these two is crucial, this can come at the expense of the experiences, support and functioning of dads and therefore of their families too.
Research tells us that when perinatal professionals engage with dad the benefits to mothers and babies are significant across a range of issues (for example infant feeding and mental health), however this practice is not routinely found within perinatal systems (Burgess and Goldman 2022).
Challenging this norm and making conscious efforts to interact with dads and understand their experiences of becoming a father is the first pivotal step to improving dads’ and families’ wellbeing. Not only does being included impact dads’ wellbeing, it also has implications their engagement in family life, their bonding with their baby and challenges the traditional gender norms that place huge strain on women and birthing people to be solely responsible for raising children.
Starting small and examining the interactions that we have with dads, whatever they may look like, allows us to work with existing resources and make small changes that, over time, have the ability to create big impacts.
IN THIS LESSON, WE EXPLORE:
How making small modifications to the ways in which we interact with dads when we come across them can transform their experiences and ultimately contribute to the health and wellbeing of them and their families:
Simple ways to make dads feel seen, heard and included.
Using your interactions as an opportunity to increase awareness of perinatal mental health and wellbeing.
Removing barriers to accessing support through your interactions with dads.
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Burgess, A., and R. Goldman. 2022. “Bringing Baby Home: UK Fathers in the First Year after the Birth.” Fatherhood Institute.