Case Examples

Why accommodating fathers is important!

 

Solo Father (1)

In a Christchurch case, a couple that have never really been in a relationship were expecting a baby. The mother was addicted to drugs and did not want the baby, but the father was prepared to take on the responsibility. She never attended ante-natal classes. He wanted to, but thought they were not catering for fathers. After the baby was born, it stayed in the neonatal unit for several weeks, after which the father assumed full care – totally unprepared.

Solo Father (2)

In a case near Gisborne, a pregnant woman that was not married to the father but in a relationship with him, died after a car accident, but the baby could be saved from her womb. The father did not attend ante-natal classes, but resumed responsibility for most of the baby’s care – unsupported and unprepared.

Parents not living together

There are a number of cases, where parents do not live together, but both mother and father are keen for him to play a role in the life of his child. These fathers are not normally encouraged to attend ante-natal classes, and their involvement with the baby is unsupported. An opportunity to show these parents ways on how to work together, and to educate them about the importance of the father’s involvement, is missed. Most of these fathers eventually become absent dads.

Mother returning to work quickly

Both parents want to resume full-time work shortly after the baby is born. To continue breastfeeding this may involve the mother pumping breast milk and the father feeding it to the baby with the bottle. Some research has shown how crucial the father’s support for breastfeeding is in such situations. Ante-natal classes may be the only opportunity to build this support, as post-natal breastfeeding support is generally only accessible for an at-home mother.

Father Taking Over After a Few Months

An increasingly common model. Normally a father quits his job after about 6 months to become a full-time parent, but in some cases the couple “swap” extended parental leave, making the father temporarily a full-time caregiver. This latter model is most common when the father is employed in the state sector. Ante-natal classes are the entry point for parents to build their support networks and get information about available services. A lack of focus on the father means in many cases that such “role-reversed” families are very isolated in their communities.