Dad’s role on a newborn
When a child is born, a mother is also born. And dad?
Fathers often feel excluded and useless: during childbirth they think that their only task is to cut the cord, while after giving birth the dyad needs a lot of time together and the father feels this exclusion, especially if the mother is breastfeeding.
But is it really that superfluous?
I felt useful, I felt important. We were and still are a team.
Giuseppe, Chloe’s dad
The father is a fundamental figure, he has the task of supporting the woman during childbirth, supporting the dyad after childbirth, protecting and taking care of the mother while taking care of the newborn, looking after her child.
The partner plays an active role in the birth!
Dad, mom and baby become a team, each one has their own unique and precious task. And this team that is formed during pregnancy with preparation, is consolidated during childbirth and is fundamental in the post-partum period.
Actively supporting the mother helps in a very delicate moment for the couple who are obviously subjected to a lot of stress.
Therefore, the father is not at all a side dish, but is an active part in the care of the baby and the mother!
I kept my baby on my chest for 3 hours after birth while she (my wife) rested: it was powerful and emotional.
Giuseppe, Chloe’s dad
Dad also has the privilege of doing skin to skin with his baby and it is important that he is involved too.
In post-partum and breastfeeding, he is not a passive spectator, on the contrary:
can read and inquire about breastfeeding in order to be part of the event and be able to help or ask for help where necessary;
can take care of the mother by taking care of her;
can look after the baby even if he is not breastfeeding him, perhaps preparing a bath or changing diapers;
she can spend precious time with her baby and thus consolidate the relationship;
can take care of the other children, if there are any, making them feel welcomed and listened to despite the new arrival, the upset balance and the partial lack of attention from the mother.
The father is therefore absolutely not outside, he is not a passive spectator of birth and the first weeks, but rather has a fundamental role; without him everything would be more complicated. He sustains and supports, welcomes and cares, protects and helps. Its presence favors the bond of the dyad, helps to find a balance, consolidates the couple, facilitates the initiation of breastfeeding and supports the new family.
Doula Alessandra – Deeply Mum