Fatherhood and newborns, a topic not nearly covered enough.
Providing new Dads with practical emotional and social support is something that we can consciously become better at achieving, and purposefully do much more of.
It’s not uncommon that when you arrive home with your newborn many new dads feel overwhelmed, trying to figure out their role and place among the changes in the household.
Among all the wonderful changes a newborn baby brings, many dads doubt their parenting skills and can feel unprepared questioning if their parenting knowledge is enough. Before you know it, Dads are back at work which presents new challenges as acute stress can build due to sleepless nights and ongoing sleep deprivation. This is all whilst Dads are will-fully wanting to be strong as the backbone of the family.
Dads we feel you, that’s why we’re here to show our support with encouraging tips from our special guest Belinda Joyce.
Belinda is a midwife, maternal & child health nurse with over 20 years experience. She is also a mother of four and author of ‘Survive and Enjoy Your Baby’. Her passion is in providing safe, evidence-based advice & options to parents so they can find their own path to parenthood.
**As a disclaimer, during this interview we use the terms ‘Dad’ and ‘Father’ broadly as we acknowledge and support the broad spectrum that includes all modern families including co-parenting and rainbow families **
We ask Belinda questions including:
- In your 20+ year career to date, have you seen an increase of dads attending maternal and child health sessions?
- Do you think Dads should be supported and this issue should be addressed more?
- What are some of your suggestions how Dads can help support a mother with their Newborn?
- How can Dads support Mum while feeding?
- How should Dads play with their newborn baby?
- Why is it important for Dads to have 1 on 1 time with their baby?
- How else can Dads bond with their baby?
- What can Dads do to ensure they are also making time for their self-care?
- How long does the perinatal period run for?
For Belinda’s full article: https://kiddipedia.com.au/the-importance-of-dads/
For further info, visit: https://belindajoyce.com/