Fathers

Fathers – you are an important part of your child’s life whether you live at home with your child or separately. The influence you have as a dad has a lifelong effect on your child.

Becoming a dad

The National Childbirth Trust have some very useful information on how to make the transition into being a dad a bit easier.

The Fatherhood Institute also have really helpful information and blogs about becoming a dad and the challenges that can bring.

If you can attend the antenatal classes with your partner you will find this very informative. However attending the birth of your child can also be quite a challenging experience. It may be useful to hear other dads’ stories.

Postnatal Depression in Fathers

There are lots of new studies that tell us many dads have depression following the birth of their child.

Some of the many symptoms are:

• feeling sad and finding it hard to enjoy things
• feeling you are the father who can’t cope
• feeling guilty and as though you are a failure
• feeling anxious and irritable
• finding coping with the baby’s crying difficult
• trouble getting to sleep or endlessly craving sleep
• lack of energy
• loss of appetite
• being indecisive even about relatively simple choices
• not feeling connected to your baby

Getting support

Your GP and health visitor can support you during this time and discuss services available.

Talk Changes are a counselling service delivering care in City and Hackney. They are able to see dads very quickly after the birth and you can refer yourself online. Remember to tell them you have just had a baby.