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ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Exploration of first-time fathers’ experiences during

the child’s first year
Thilagavathy Ganapathy

ABSTRACT
Background: The paternal postpartum period is a tremendous transitional time for first-time fathers and so, their unique experiences
should be considered. Aim: To explore new fathers’ experiences during the child’s first year and the factors associated with their
experiences. Setting and Design: A descriptive exploratory research conducted among n = 149 new fathers working in private
companies in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India recruited by purposive sampling during their first year of paternal postpartum period.
Materials and Methods: An individual interview using a four-point structured rating scale consisting of 50 items measuring their
experiences during the first year of paternal postpartum period was used to collect data. Statistical Analysis: All statistical
analyses were performed by the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) 17 version. An alpha less than 0.05 was
considered to be significant in all analyses. Results: The results revealed that the vast majority of the first-time fathers (61.34%)
had positive postpartum experiences as compared to 38.66% who reported negative fatherhood experiences. The key concepts
related to their experiences were emotional upheaval, changes in lifestyle, pleasant and rejuvenating fatherhood experiences,
relationship difficulties with partners, parents, friends, lack of intimacy with spouse, feelings of social isolation, lack of leisure
activities and hobbies, difficulties in balancing career and family, ongoing physical problems, and financial constraints. There was
no association of their postpartum paternal experiences with sociodemographic factors. Conclusion: Findings from this study
suggest the need for realigning health services that have traditionally focused on mothers and children to father friendly services
that respect fathers’ strengths, experiences, knowledge, relationship, empowerment, and well-being to promote lasting benefits
for fathers and their families.
Key Words: Experiences, first-time father, postpartum

Introduction cause conflict with their other roles.[3] A new father

may be apprehensive about finances, changes in the
Fatherhood in the 21st century is tougher than ever,
relationship with his partner, increased responsibilities,
as fathers are increasingly expected to take a greater
and feelings about himself[1] and still want and expect
share in the responsibility of household chores and
some affection and attention for himself as well as
parenting roles as well as working fulltime than their
a reasonably active social life and some freedom to
own fathers did.[1,2] The postpartum paternal period
pursue his own interests.[4]
is a tremendous transitional time for new fathers
and a time when adjustments need to be made on
physiological, psychological, and social levels.[3] New
fathers genuinely struggle with the need to balance Department of OBG Nursing, The Oxford College of Nursing, The Oxford
their own transition to fatherhood and that of their Educational Institutions, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
partner. They may experience a tension between Address for correspondence: Dr. Thilagavathy Ganapathy,
needing to be the breadwinner and also wanting to #305, Ganesh Nivas, VI Cross, Arekare, Mico-Layout,
Bengaluru - 560 076, Karnataka, India.
be involved in childcare,[2] which may affect marital E-mail: thilkg@gmail.com
and child relationships as well as their health status
and feelings that are sometimes overlooked and may
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DOI: How to cite this article: Ganapathy T. Exploration of first-time

10.4103/0975-9727.174608 fathers’ experiences during the child’s first year. Muller J Med Sci Res
2016;7:23-31.

© 2016 Muller Journal of Medical Sciences and Research | Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow 23
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Ganapathy: Paternal postpartum experiences
Though men and women become parents at the same
time, they do not necessarily become parents in the
same way.[4,5] Although men’s passage to parenthood
is comparatively smooth without much physical and
emotional changes that new mothers undergo, it is not
free of turbulence.[6] It may take time for fathers to adapt
to their new role and they may need access to support
and advice.[4] They should be encouraged to talk to
their partner or to a professional about what is it that is
worrying them. By expressing their anxieties, new fathers
are more likely to get a clearer perspective and the
support they need to feel better as keeping silent about
their feelings can actually increase stress.[7]
Fatherhood is a benchmark for masculinity, characterized
by a patriarchal array of assumptions, ideals, expectations,
stereotypes, and an imposition that dictates the dynamics
of that role.[8] In reality, fatherhood involves sleepless
nights, anxiety, stress, feelings of being overwhelmed, and
difficulties in coping. Due to fear of social repercussions,
they are unable to express and validate their feelings and
needs within supportive, accepting, and nonjudgmental
interrelationships and cultural contexts.[3,7] They feel
trapped in their experiences as a result of being unable
to express themselves and strive to present themselves
according to social and cultural expectations. Out of
shame, perceived stigma, and the fear of being deemed
as unfit fathers, they are hesitant to disclose their true
feelings;[9] they hide their feelings and experiences but
often secretly hope that someone will notice and help
them.[6]
In reproductive health research, there is a wealth of
evidence and consensus of experts about maternal
health and its impact on children. There is very limited
knowledge on new fathers’ experiences during the child’s
first year, yet there is evidence that paternal well-being
has a potential impact on partners, children from infancy
to adolescence, and the fathers themselves.[8,9] Despite
such suggestions, paternal postpartum care is often
given a low priority in research and clinical practice.[7,9]
The aim of postpartum care is not only to ensure the
health of mothers and babies but also to help first-time
fathers cope with the new situation, to provide support
during these difficult adjustment periods, and to ensure
that new fathers feel confident in caring for their babies.
Unfortunately, researchers and practitioners have made
limited progress in the attempt to address the explicit and
unspoken needs of many new fathers in the paternal
postpartum period; so it is not surprising that there is a
long list of questions yet to be addressed. It is wise for
reproductive health care professionals to recognize the
new fathers’ uncertainty about their fathering abilities,
the unique and possibly stressful experiences of new
24 Muller Journal of Medical Sciences and Research | Vol 7 | Issue 1 | Jan - Jun 2016
fatherhood, and be careful not to deride their initial efforts
and to treat them as valuable partners to their spouses
and not as their assistants in their new joint venture of
parenthood.
Given that first-time fathers are presumably vulnerable
for negative paternal postpartum experiences and it may
have possible effect on the well-being of fathers and
families, a research had been undertaken to explore
first-time fathers’ experiences during the first year of
postpartum period. At a time of shifting social mores
and increasing expectation of the father’s involvement in
direct child care, child and family services have a definite
role to play in supporting first-time fathers to help them
address shortcomings in skills, knowledge, and personal
functioning. Such an understanding may assist health
professionals in the early identification of problems and
subsequent interventions that may decrease the risk of
negative outcomes.
Materials and Methods
Respondents
A descriptive exploratory research was conducted
among n = 149 first-time fathers who were in the first
year of postpartum period and working in private firms/
companies located in Bannerghatta MICO layout,
Bangalore, South Karnataka, India. They access health
care services through private secondary and tertiary
health care hospitals, clinics, and primary health care
settings. Purposive sampling was used to recruit first-time
fathers whose infants were healthy, born after 37 weeks
of gestation, with a birth weight of at least 2,500 g,
experienced no complications during delivery, with no
risk factors complicating the infancy period, and severe
illness or abnormalities. Fathers with more than one child
were excluded from this study based on the assumption
that they would most likely have different experiences
than first-time fathers. Data were collected between the
months of January 2014 and December 2014.
Ethical considerations
The study was conducted in compliance with the ethical
principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Ethical approval
was obtained from the institutional ethical review
committee and permission to conduct the study was
obtained from the managing supervisors of the private
companies. The participation was voluntary and written
informed consent was obtained from all respondents
prior to the interviews. To ensure anonymity, a coding
number was assigned to each consent form and the
interview data sheet in the right top corner, starting from
001 coding number. Respondent confidentiality during
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Ganapathy: Paternal postpartum experiences
the research process and in the reporting of findings was
thoroughly discussed. Respondents were informed that
if they wanted to withdraw from the study, they could do
so at any time and their respective data sheets would
be destroyed.
Measures
To explore the experience of first-time fathers during
the child’s first year, a four-point interview rating was
developed by the researcher. Important concepts
and items to represent the concepts were identified
through the literature review, discussion with midwives,
psychologists, fathers. and mothers. Concepts related
to rejuvenation, emotional upheaval, lifestyle changes,
social isolation, lack of time, relationship difficulties,
balancing career and family, physical problems, and
financial adjustments were generated. The rating scale
consisted of 59 items, presented as statements with
respondents’ responses being rated on a four-point
Likert scale (“not at all” = 1, “to some extent” = 2, “lot
more” = 3, and“very much so” = 4). The baseline data
included sociodemographic factors including age,
education, income, involvement in pregnancy, labor, and
postnatal care, along with information about paternity
leave. The tool was validated by the psychiatric and
obstetrics and gynecolgy (OBG) subject experts for
comprehensiveness, relevance, and comprehensibility.
The tool was piloted among 10 fathers and the item
difficulty and discriminative index were computed.
Items with poor discriminative and difficulty index were
discarded and it was reevaluated by the experts; Content
Validity Index (CVI) was computed using Lawshe’s
formula [10] and CVI was 0.89. Internal consistency
reliability of the tool by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient
yielded 0.91. The final tool consisted of 50 items.
Procedures
The first-time fathers were interviewed at 24 weeks
to 1 year of the birth of their infant. Each father was
interviewed separately at the workplace. The respondents
were asked to report their experiences during the child’s
first year. The total items were 50 and the scores were
ranged from 50 to a maximum of 200 and the responses
were given weightage based on the mean scores. The
interview lasted for 35-45 min and was documented with
their permission.
Statistical analysis
Statistical analysis was conducted using Statistical
Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17
(IBM SPSS Modeler, USA). Respondents’ baseline
characteristics and responses were analyzed using
Muller Journal of Medical Sciences and Research | Vol 7 | Issue 1 | Jan - Jun 2016
descriptive statistics and association between
sociodemographic factors and response categories were
computed by Pearson’s chi-square test or Fisher’s exact
probability test. An alpha less than 0.05 was considered
to be significant in all analyses.
Results
A total of 149 first-time fathers were recruited through
purposive sampling technique and 131 (87.46%) fathers
completed the interview. The attrition rate of n = 18
(12.54%) first-time fathers included those respondents
who did not answer all the items and those withdrew from
the study after answering a minimum of 10-12 items,
reporting that they had to attend an emergency meeting
and unexpected work, etc.
Respondents’ characteristics
The respondents’ age ranged from 27 years to 36 years
with mean age of 28.91, SD 6.39. A greater proportion of
the respondents had University under and postgraduates
education n = 101 (77.10%) and the rest n = 30 (22.90%)
had diploma technical education. All of them n—131
(100%) were private company employees with their
monthly income above 50,000 and n = 24 (18.32%)
of the first-time fathers reported they were the sole
breadwinners for their family and n = 107(81.68%) had
working partners to support in managing the family
expenses.
Regarding their paternal postpartum period n = 63
(48.09%) first-time fathers had 6–9 months of newborns
and n = 68 (51.91%) had infants aged 9 months to less
than 1 year. A majority of the respondents had n = 79
(60.31%) daughters and n = 52 (39.69%) had sons.
Paternity leave was not availed by any first-time fathers
and n = 107 (81.68%) had working partners and n = 24
(18.32%) unemployed partners taking care of the child.
Among working parents, n = 37 ( 34.58%) had family
support to take care of the baby and n = 70 (65.42%)
were depending on babysitters, maids, and crèches.
Key concepts related to experiences of first-time
fathers
The mean scores of experience of first-time fathers
during the child’s first year ranged from 71 to 194 out
of possible scores of 200 and the mean percentage
was 72.93 standard deviation (SD) 3.403. Of the
n = 131 respondents, the vast majority (92.75%)
reported an emotional seesaw experience of amazing
emotional highs, feelings, and, of course fight or
flight response — anger, frustration, sadness, guilt,
depression, or self-pity, and sometimes feeling more
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Ganapathy: Paternal postpartum experiences
low within the family while adjusting to their new roles.
Changes in lifestyle was experienced by 88.25% of
the fathers, rejuvenating experience by 77.25%, social
isolation and lack of time for leisure activities and hobbies
by 69%, relationship difficulties with partner, parents,
and friends by 67.25%, balancing career and family
issues were reported by 66%, and experiencing ongoing
physical problems by 65.5%. However, only 57.5%
reported that they experienced financial constraints in
the first year of the postpaternal period. A majority of
the first-time fathers — 61.34% — reported positive
postpartum experiences as compared to 38.66% who
reported negative fatherhood experiences [Table 1].
Experiences of first-time fathers during the child’s
first year
An important element in this study was the quantitative
measure of first-time fathers’ experiences in the child’s
first-year period on a four-point Likert scale. The highest
rated category of experiences reported by the first-
time fathers was emotional upheaval (92.75%). The
subcategories of responses stated by first-time fathers
were sudden mood swings (97%), hypersensitivity to
criticism (88.5%), lack of motivation (90.25%), frequent
frustration (96.5%), discouraged feelings (91.75%),
irritability (97.25%), anxiousness, guilt (85.75%) in
fulfilling the role of the father, problems with concentration
(89.75%) due to strain in the role, physical and emotional
exhaustion, feeling incompetent in taking care of the child
and family demands, ambivalence (91.75%) about the
fathering role, sudden impulsiveness, and taking of risks
such as reckless driving for unknown reasons (96.75).
The second largest category of experiences (88.25%)
reported was related to a chaotic lifestyle in terms of
experiencing conflicts regarding how they perceived a
man should be and how they actually were (92.75%),
loss of independence (89.75%), lifestyle ruled by the
child’s needs and activities (86%), disturbances in daily
routine activities (95.25%), sharing of household chores
and responsibilities (89%), performing feeding, diapering,
playing, and taking care of the child when wife is busy
(79%), too many household responsibilities, which were
not there before the child’s birth (94.75%), and less
domination over the partner experiencing equality and
changes in the power balance (78.25%) roles in the family;
sometimes they felt a shift in decision making power.
The third category of feelings described by the first-time
fathers were positive experiences of fatherhood in terms
of wholeness built on the close relation to the child such
as happiness, joy, and pleasurable and rejuvenating
feelings (77.25%) as the father. A majority (80.25%)
26 Muller Journal of Medical Sciences and Research | Vol 7 | Issue 1 | Jan - Jun 2016
reported that fatherhood evoked the feelings of love,
affection, and tenderness, and made them feel like a
real (79%) and complete (75.75%) man in life. The fourth
category of experiences reported by them constituted
the lack of time and feelings of social isolation (69%)
from friends, family members, and parents. Most of them
reported that due to domestic and childcare activities,
they did not get time for recreation and pursuing their
hobbies, and attending social gatherings and outdoor
parties with friends (64.75%).
The fifth category of experiences (67.25%) reported by
them constituted changes in their relationships and poor
communication in quality and quantity with their partners,
friends and lack of intimacy with their partners (78.75%).
Balancing career and family was the sixth category of
responses (66%) by the first-time fathers and the seventh
category was related to physical problems (65.5%)
experienced by them in terms of exhaustion, indigestion,
throbbing headache, fatigue, physically drained energy
level, restless insomnia, and overdependence on
drugs and alcohol to overcome physical and emotional
weakness. The lowest reported category of experiences
by the first-time fathers were related to financial difficulties
(57.5%) in terms of meeting the growing demands of
the family, childcare activities, the child’s and partner’s
needs, health checkups, medications, and entertainment
of visitors and celebration of functions in the family.
Discussion
This study reports the experiences of first-time fathers
during the child’s first year. The transition to fatherhood is
one of the most significant and challenging experiences a
man will ever face. The transition into a parent presents
fathers with both an opportunity to learn a new role and
the experience of stress and change.[11] Every man has
his own unique history, experiences, and individual
characteristics in his understanding of what it means to
be a father and a parent.[6] It is helpful for every father to
know that with the birth of his child, changes will occur
within himself and with all his relationships––with his
child, the mother of his child, his own parents, and with
the surrounding community.[4,6,12]
The results of this present study have demonstrated
that first-time fathers have positive and negative
experiences during the child’s first year of life. A majority
of first-time fathers — 61.34% — reported positive
and pleasant postpartum paternal experiences and
38.66% reported negative fatherhood experiences
due to physical and psychological role strain, family
commitments, home chores, and financial constraints
associated with the arrival of the child. The evidence
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Ganapathy: Paternal postpartum experiences

Table 1: New fathers’ experiences during the child’s first year N = 131
Response category of new fathers’ experiences during the child’s first year Weighted mean score Weighted mean %
Emotional seesaw experience 3.71 92.75
Sudden mood swings 3.88 97
Hypersensitivity to criticism 3.54 88.5
Lack of motivation 3.61 90.25
Becoming easily frustrated 3.86 96.50
Feeling discouraged 3.67 91.75
Irritability 3. 89 97.25
Anxiousness, guilt 3.43 85.75
Problems with concentration 3.59 89.75
Feeling incompetent and ambivalent 3.67 91.75
Impulsiveness and the taking of risks such as reckless driving 3.87 96.75
Lifestyle change experience 3.53 88.25
Experiencing conflicts regarding their perception of how a man should be and how 3.71 92.75
they actually were
Loosing independence 3.59 89.75
Lifestyle dictated by child’s needs 3. 44 86
Disruption of the daily routine 3.81 95.25
Division of household chores and responsibilities 3.56 89
Taking care of child––feeding, diapering, etc. 3.16 79
Too many responsibilities at home 3.79 94.75
Changes in power balance in the family 3.13 78.25
Rejuvenating experience 3.09 77.25
Evocation of feelings of love, affection, and tenderness 3.21 80.25
Pleasant, overwhelming experience 3.09 77.25
Feeling like a real man 3.16 79
Feeling completeness in life 3.03 75.75
Pride and joy 2.97 74.25
Social isolation and lack of time 2.76 69
Isolation from friends 3.03 75.75
Isolation from family members and parents 2.87 71.75
Lack of time for hobbies and sports 3.11 77.75
Lack of leisure activities and recreation 2.24 56
Minimal social gatherings and functions 2.59 64.75
Relationship difficulties 2.69 67.25
Poor communication with partner 3.38 84.5
Poor communication with parents 1.79 44.75
Poor communication with friends 2.49 66.25
Lack of intimacy with partner 3.15 78.75
Balancing career and family 2.64 66
Multitasking 3.69 92.25
Working constantly 2.37 59.25
Loss of interest in work 1.61 40.25
Increase concerns about functioning at work 2.34 58.5
Increase concerns about productivity at work 3.19 79.75
Physical problems 2.62 65.5
Exhaustion 3.15 78.75
Low or no energy 2.95 73.75
Physically drained 2.13 53.25
Dependence on alcohol, drugs 2.29 57.25
Restless insomnia
Losing weight without trying 3.11 77.25
Ongoing physical symptoms — indigestion, pain, and headache 2.21 55.25
Financial adjustments 2.3 57.5
Financial constraints in meeting family needs 2.55 63.75
Child’s needs 3.37 84.25
Partner’s needs 2.01 50.25
Medications 1.49 37.25
Health checkups 2.17 54.25
Functions and visitors 2.21 55.25

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Ganapathy: Paternal postpartum experiences
emerging from the present study is in consistence
with the findings of Condon[4] who postulated that the
transition to parenthood is a difficult one and first-time
fathers experience stress and feel alienated as they do
not know what to expect and what role it is that they can
play. Similarly, Pilyoung[13] argues that first-time fathers
experience fewer positive thoughts about parenting
(positive parenting) and the baby (positive baby) during
the first year in the postpartum period. In the public
mind, the stigma attached to the diagnosis of negative
feelings and experiences appears to dissuade men from
identifying their struggle, acknowledging their needs, and
seeking help for their difficulties. The study suggests that
health care providers must acknowledge the pressure
that is placed on today’s fathers to perform efficiently
in various roles as financier, stabilizer, companion, and
caretaker. Further, this recognition must be coupled
with understanding, compassion, and gender-sensitive
clinical practice within the health care industry, and men
friendly health care support services for making their
transition into fatherhood healthy and positive.
Emotional see saw experience
The first year of postpartum period rather than pregnancy
would appear to be the most stressful period for parents
undergoing a transition to parenthood.[1,4] The study findings
revealed that the vast majority (92.75%) of first-time fathers
reported fatherhood as an emotionally overwhelming
experience but it caused strain, exhaustion, ambivalence,
resentment, anger, and led to feelings of being fatigued
and drained of physical and emotional energy and they
experienced difficulties in living up to the new demands
of being a father and felt frustration. Hall[11] and Russell[14]
reported similar findings of 50% of first-time fathers
experiencing severe to moderate mood disorders, feelings
of guilt, loss, exhaustion, ambivalence, resentment, anger,
conflict with their partners, more arguing, poor relationship,
struggling with changing roles and identities, and distress
following the birth of their first infant. The stigma of mood
disorders prohibits its prevalence from being known
and thus, sustains the myth that it is a rare and strange
occurrence usually experienced by men who have some
form of emotional and personal deficit. This research
findings shows that maternity services have a key role in
training, supporting, and encouraging men to expand their
caring roles during the child’s first year as their mental
health and emotional well-being and the relationship
between them and their spouse are critical to the health
and well-being of the mothers, babies, and themselves.
Lifestyle change experience
For first-time fathers, the arrival of a child results in
lifestyle changes as the baby occupies the central
28 Muller Journal of Medical Sciences and Research | Vol 7 | Issue 1 | Jan - Jun 2016
position in the family and everything revolves around
his/her needs and the fathers became more bound
than before. [6,7] The study findings reveal that the
majority (88.25%) of first-time fathers have experienced
considerable lifestyle changes after the infant’s arrival in
terms of less space for spontaneous actions, disruption
in daily routines and taking responsibility for the baby
when wife cannot do. An interesting finding is that the
vast majority of fathers are involved in most of the daily
childcare tasks such as nappy-changing, keeping awake
at night, bathing, putting the child to bed, spending more
time shopping, and doing housework plus providing
more of the family income. Supportive findings were
reported by Premberg[15] Russell[14] that first-time fathers
experience extensive changes in their lives and that
there was no turning back and there were feelings of loss
concerning their previous lifestyle. They reported that
first-time fathers’ lives had become far more restricted
since the birth of their babies due to the involvement in
childcare activities and they did not have enough time
for themselves. This study findings calls for reforming the
health care professionals’ interactions with men so as to
spend more time with them to inquire into their concerns,
provide specifically designed father-friendly classes to
address the significant changes that take place for men
during the transition to fatherhood, and encourage health-
promoting behaviors to maintain successful functioning.
Rejuvenating experience
To become a father is an overwhelming experience, which
demands adaptability to a completely new life situation
with increased responsibility. Results of this investigation
have demonstrated that the majority (77.25%) of first-time
fathers energetically report fatherhood as a pleasant
experience and claim that it evokes sense of happiness,
feelings of love, affection, and tenderness toward infants.
Some of them reported that they derived a great deal
of satisfaction and pride from fathering and felt that the
father role made them feel like a complete and real man
in life. Consistent findings were reported by Leodoro[16]
and Sapountzi[17] of first-time fathers considering the
first year of fatherhood as the most joyous and ecstatic
experience that their lives offered and many men reported
that after they became fathers, they displayed different
aspects of themselves at work and home.
Social isolation and lack of time
Becoming parents leads to changes in how married
couples divide their responsibilities within the home.
A majority of first-time fathers (69%) reported that
they found a lack of time for sports, hobbies, leisure
activities, spending time with their friends, parents, and
sometimes felt that they were socially isolated. Quite a
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Ganapathy: Paternal postpartum experiences
few of them complained about postponing their hobbies
and leisure-time activities, and experienced conflicts and
chaos in their life between work, friends, family, and the
infant. They did not have enough time for themselves
and their spouses to meet their own individual needs
and their needs as a couple. Supportive findings were
reported by Hall[11] Ahlborg and Strandmark[18] of first-time
fathers experiencing conflict between several aspects of
equal value in life such as work, hobbies, friends, and
family. The fathers had a fear of being isolated, had not
expected the infant to be as nonsocial and demanding
as it proved to be, and felt deeply unhappy. They felt
that it was required of them to change their behavior and
attitudes and expressed frustration at having less time
for themselves and being less free as individuals. This
calls for the attention of maternity health care personnel
to understand that new fathers are on a steep learning
curve and need support and guidance right from the start
to discuss their thoughts and feelings about the changes
they face for better coping in their transition.
Relationship difficulties
There is now compelling evidence on the importance of a
stable family relationship on the emotional well-being of
children and adults.[12] During the transition to parenthood,
there are significant challenges that new parents face,
and many experience some level of deterioration in the
quality of their relationship during this time. Adjusting
to new roles, conflicting expectations about parenting,
reduced relationship and leisure time, and challenges
in managing work-life balance can put pressure on
relationships for first-time fathers. Results of the present
study revealed that highest percentage (67.25%) of the
first-time fathers felt that the postpartum paternal period
had subjected them to poor communication in both
quantity and quality with decreased marital satisfaction
and lack of intimacy with their partner and minimal quality
of communication with their parents and friends. The
evidence emerging from this study is in line with several
studies by Ahlborg and Strandmark,[18] Genesoni,[19] and
Ramachandani[20] who reported that fathers expressed
a feeling of marital conflict and dissatisfaction. Some
felt that their wives did not have any feeling to spare for
them. The babies were the focus of the mothers’ love at
the expense of the fathers who did not feel emotionally
confirmed. Men also expressed feelings of sadness at
not having had any sexual relations after the birth of the
baby.[16,20]
Poor quality parental relationships are associated with
poor parenting, poor quality parent-child relationships,
and poor long-term social emotional and educational
outcomes for children. Early intervention is of paramount
Muller Journal of Medical Sciences and Research | Vol 7 | Issue 1 | Jan - Jun 2016
importance if this erosion is to be stemmed. Amid all the
adjustments new parents need to make, the couple’s
relationship can often become vulnerable as partners
struggle to maintain their preparenthood focus on
each other. Practitioners can help new parents through
the transition via programs that focus on the couple’s
relationship alongside the challenges of parenting.
Therefore, understanding the factors associated with
the decline in satisfaction and the interactions between
them can arm practitioners with information to help
clients prepare for, and perhaps counteract, the ways
in which becoming a parent negatively impacts couple
relationships.
Balancing career and family
While fatherhood can be a source of great happiness, the
stresses and strains of balancing work and family life may
have an impact on the overall well-being. Working parents
who say they find it difficult to manage the responsibilities
of their jobs and families are somewhat less happy
overall than those who do not have difficulty in balancing
these things. The study findings revealed that a majority
of the first-time fathers (66%) reported fatherhood as
multitasking as they had to balance work, job pressure,
career-centric attitude, job security, accomplishment,
and family demands and they found it difficult to balance
at times. Levitt,[3] Condon[4] and Tohotoa[7] reported
consistent findings of paid employment influencing the
amount of time available for men’s parenting for the child
and family and they made sacrifices at work because
of the child, which caused job pressure, escalated role
demands, work strain and increased responsibilities, and
poor job satisfaction.
Men are often expected to be strong and capable; yet
fathers also have to contend with the emotional changes
and challenges that a new baby brings to the family. At
times, this balancing or juggling act can be difficult and
traumatic. For some men, the struggle is reflected in
emotional distress or depression. This study findings
call for the attention of health care personnel to organize
community- and hospital-based male-friendly health-
care services, male-oriented classes and male-specific
health education camps where men feel comfortable in
discussing their issues and the significant changes that
take place in them during the transition to fatherhood for
effective coping.
Physical problems
The all-consuming nature of fathering makes men feel
exhausted and drained of physical and emotional energy.
Dealing with lack of sleep is another greatest challenge
faced by new parents. Some babies find a sleeping
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Ganapathy: Paternal postpartum experiences
pattern quickly that does not disrupt the household but
many parents face sleepless nights well into the child’s
first year. When one is tired, one can feel irritable and
the level of stress in a household with a sleepless baby
can be very high. The potential for misunderstandings
and arguments is great largely due to the lack of quality
sleep in parents. The study reveals that a majority of
first-time fathers (65.5%) had reported the loss of weight
without trying, experiencing of indigestion, pain, on-and-
off headache, feeling physically drained and exhausted
with no energy, and overdependence on alcohol and
sleeping pills. Geneasoni [19] and Ramchandani [20]
reported consistent findings of first-time fathers feeling
physically exhausted, that the fatigue experienced by
them were unbearable, and that they were less energetic
during the entire postpartum year. Maternity health care
professionals should include fathers in child-mother-
family education programs, offer them the opportunity to
discuss their difficulties and problems that they are facing,
and support them to support their partners and infants.
Financial adjustments
The study reported that the highest percentage of
fathers (55%) experienced financial constraints to
meet the family’s, child’s, and partner’s needs, spend a
huge amount on check-ups, medications, and hosting
functions, and constantly entertain visitors at home.
A finding of this study is in line with the literature of
Genesoni and Tallandini [19] about fathers’ first-year
experience who highlighted that first-time fathers’
primary stressor was most commonly financial concerns
related to sustaining the family and children. Bradley[8]
and Schumacher[9] claim that the new father archetype
is one of the dominant notions circulating in relation to
how men are expected to behave. Men are generally still
expected to participate fully in the economic sphere and
to act as providers for their families, and are encouraged
to construct their self-identities as masculine subjects
through their work role. First-time parents rightly want
the best of everything for their child. Following the birth
of their first child, parents become much more aware
of their financial situation and while many couples may
have managed alright before the birth of the infant they
may find the going more difficult after the birth and many
difficult decisions may have to be taken, which can lead
to much stress for young couples.
The findings from this study suggest that while there is
certainly room for improvement and involvement in the
participation of fathers in direct child care, child and family
services has a definite role to play in supporting fathers
to help them address shortcomings in skills, knowledge,
and personal functioning.
30 Muller Journal of Medical Sciences and Research | Vol 7 | Issue 1 | Jan - Jun 2016
Implications for practice
The results of this study may be of value to maternity
health care professionals to tailor appropriate teaching
strategies for first-time fathers in the ante-, intra-, and
postpartum periods. Health care providers need to be
aware that first-time fathers are vulnerable to negative
experiences similar to mothers. Modified parenthood
education related to men-specific and men-oriented
programs with courses focusing on first-time fathers,
debunking myths, and providing clear explanations,
information and guidance may be provided to first-time
fathers to avoid unnecessary interventions and negative
outcomes.
Regular contact with first-time fathers during the
reproductive period through ante- and postnatal clinics
and early childhood clinics provides an opportunity to
supply information to first-time fathers on parenting.
This will assist first-time fathers to distinguish between
mood disorders and the normal stress occasioned by
a new baby, and make them aware of existing support
services. Pamphlets/ brochures outlining the importance
of a father’s well-being for himself and his family and
the common stresses experienced by first-time fathers
could also be provided by maternal and child health and
education bodies in the hospital and community settings.
Strengths and limitations
This study strengthens the literature on new fathers’
experiences during the child’s first year, a generally
underresearched area. Data were collected from low-
risk term infants’ new fathers, gerealizabilty to first-
time fathers who are at risk for providing lower quality
parenting, such as fathers who have had negative early
experiences, or suffer from psychopathology and multiple
children are limited. Second, this study narrowed its focus
on new fathers experiences’ during the child’s first year.
Future studies are recommended to explore the new
fathers’ experiences on the long-term developmental
period of the child.
Conclusion
The finding of this study provides a preliminary insight
to help maternity health care providers in identifying
new fathers’ experiences during the child’s first year.
Since no other health professional has as much routine
contact with fathers, the maternity team is ideally placed
to provide new fathers with timely, relevant information
about paternal postpartum experiences, which may
increase their coping skills. Ambivalent and negative
attitudes toward fathers are relatively common among
welfare, health, and education workers.[1]
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Ganapathy: Paternal postpartum experiences
New fathers need to be included in all aspects of
maternity care and be offered opportunities to discuss
and any fears that they might have. Positive involvement
of fathers has the potential to decrease their fear and
feelings anxiety and increase trust and respect. It will
promote confidence in fathers as valued co-parents.
When fathers are well-prepared and involved in maternal
and child care, there are many health and well-being
benefits for themselves, their partner, the baby, and
the family. Increasing awareness of these benefits
has implications for our society as a whole. Improved
fatherhood education to meet the needs of fathers
and early awareness and intervention may limit the
negative impact of paternal postpartum experiences on
parenting attitudes and behavior during the first year of
the postpartum period. The maternal and child health
professionals can provide male-friendly health services,
male-specific education programs, and a male-friendly
environment to enable fathers in being actively involved
in the postpartum care of their partner, the infant,
and themselves. This will promote positive parenting
experiences and outcomes for fathers and their families.
Acknowledgement
I thank the respondents and managing supervisors of the study
setting for their support and participation.
Financial Support and Sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of Interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
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