Abstract
Although the figure of the father has progressively gained a place in birth, it is still displaced and in the mere role of a companion. Objective: To understand the experience of fathers who have prepared to get actively involved in birth and to undergo the experience of early physical contact with their newborns. Method: A qualitative Action-Research (AR) design was carried out, which considered the antenatal educational intervention of 12 fathers together with their pregnant partners. After delivery, individual interviews were conducted in depth to collect the paternal experience at birth. Results: The central emerging theme developed during AR was “Paternal role and early bonding with the child”, whereas the experience was comprehended in two central themes related to the meaning of the father-child encounter-contact: “The impact of the face-to-face encounter with the child”; “The first physical contact with the child, a key moment”. Conclusion: The fathers who were prepared and involved from pregnancy and at birth attribute a special meaning to the father-child relationship which generated since the first encounter, allowing them to feel, enjoy and commit to care.
Highlights
The figure of the father has progressively gained a place in birth, it is still displaced and in the mere role of a companion
The central emerging theme developed during AR was “Paternal role and early bonding with the child”, whereas the experience was comprehended in two central themes related to the meaning of the father-child encounter-contact: “The impact of the face-to-face encounter with the child”; “The first physical contact with the child, a key moment”
The fathers who were prepared and involved from pregnancy and at birth attribute a special meaning to the father-child relationship which generated since the first encounter, allowing them to feel, enjoy and commit to care
Summary
Of the existing literature, some correspond to negative experiences in the father [4] [5], or aspects of the paternal role [6] in opposition to masculinity [4] [7]. From the professionals’ perspective, low or nonexistent recognition of the role that the father can play at birth has been reported [8] [9] [10]. He has even been considered as a depersonalized and marginalized actor of the pregnancy process, which is accentuated at birth [2]. In situations where the father has been included in the birth process, the prevailing care model imposes paternal participation practices of a hegemonic and directive fashion, with scarce or nonexistent previous preparation, which can generate situations of stress and ambivalence in the fathers
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