Bringing in, rather than sending fathers out of the birth experience: maternity services involvement with fathers

摘要

Fatherhood is a 'social and cultural construct' rather than a 'biological fact of life' (Mander 2004). While the birth of a child is a major life event for both the man and the woman, the woman experiences motherhood first hand when her body enters a state of biological transition throughout pregnancy and the birth of the baby. The man does not have the same experiences and while he may attempt to experience the same involvementfrom the periphery of the pregnancy, he is ultimately faced with a transition into fatherhood having been detached from the biological processes related to this. Midwives are in a key position to help men adjust to the changes women experience in pregnancy and, in due course, for the role they will play as fathers to their children. This article explores whether there is a need to reassess the interaction between fathers and the current provision of maternity services in the UK.