Men's Transition to Parenthood

Chapter 11: Men’s Transition to Parenthood

Description:

Men and women enter the transition to parenthood as a couple. However, they have arrived at this point via different pathways, that is, through their childhood and their own experience of being parented from which they /have learned that there are 'rules' that state how men and women should behave (male and female stereotypes) (Cowan et al., 1985).

As a means of furthering the study of men's transition to parenthood, and exploring their experiences, in 1995, Donovan, a nursing lecturer at The Flinders University of South Australia, and Ramsay, a well-known medical practitioner from South Australia, held antenatal experiential sessions with a group of six men and Donovan, alone, held individual interviews with the men post natally. Up until that time, little was known about the social and emotional experiences of men during their first pregnancy with their partner.

Topics:

• Introduction
• The theory
• The process
• Relationship of the theoretical schema to existing literature
  • Ambivalence in the early stages of pregnancy
  • Relationship with baby unreal
  • How should 1 be as a father during pregnancy?
  • Coping with changing roles and lifestyle
  • Relationship disequilibrium with female partner
• The model
• Conclusion
• References

Authors:

Jenny Donovan
Registered Nurse, Registered Midwife, Certificate of Maternal and Child Health, Bachelor of Nursing, Master of Science (Primary Health Care), Fellow of the Royal College of Nursing, Australia

Jenny Donovan is a member of The Flinders University School of Nursing in South Australia. She wrote the following notes about this chapter: The project for my Master of Science degree evolved from the work of Barclay (1993) who interviewed couples during pregnancy and found a mismatch with regard to the sexual interest levels between men and women during pregnancy. I worked with Professor Lesley Barclay for my project and my novice research skills improved within the culture of a research-oriented and collaborative team of nurses, midwives and doctors at Flinders University.

That environment provided the opportunity to develop my project within a network of skilled support and positive interest which gave me direct access to statisticians and political and professional support that would otherwise have been unavailable. The process facilitated my successful application for research funds (the project was funded by a Flinders University URB grant) and was part of a concerted and strategic effort to bring practitioners and researchers together in a nonjudgmental yet rigorously demanding environment. Regular research meetings were held involving researchers at all levels of competence undertaking numerous projects and openly sharing their research proposals and work in progress. Constant feedback on draft after draft improved our processes.

This environment facilitated group learning about various research methodologies, brought diverse disciplines together and provided the support and encouragement necessary to take the next step, whether it be, for example, defending one's own project at an ethics committee meeting or discussing the difficulties surrounding recruitment. This model of research is to be highly recommended.

Lesley Barclay
Registered Nurse, Registered Midwife, Bachelor of Social Science, Bachelor of Education, Doctor of Philosophy Professor of Health in the Faculty of Nursing at the University of Technology, Sydney and the South Eastern Sydney Health Service

Lesley Barclay has worked as a clinician, a hospital educator, a lecturer in health education and an education officer for the Family Planning Association of Australia. She has held academic positions from lecturer to professor. Her doctoral research was into sexuality and pregnancy. Her research and writing is focused upon parenting, midwifery, family health, women in development, safe motherhood and sexuality. At present she is leading research teams funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Australian Research Council studying parenting and care in nurseries that help parents attach to their children.

Jo England
Bachelor of Arts (Psychology), Graduate Diploma of Education, Graduate Diploma of Counselling School Counsellor and Intern Psychologist with the Department of Education and Training in New South Wales

Jo England's work reflects a combination of her initial experience in the theatre and her subsequent involvement with education, training, research and counselling. Jo has directed actors for experiential learning in behavioural medicine, education and drug and alcohol counselling. She has also spent time working with Dr Andrew Ramsay providing clinical training programs for general practitioners. Jo's present work involves working with families. She welcomes the opportunity provided by this chapter to support men in redefining and developing their roles in the family — she has two sons who may become fathers!

Andrew Ramsay
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, Diploma of Obstetrics, Member of the Royal College of Gynaecologists, Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practice General Practitioner, Crafter Medical Centre, Hawthorn, South Australia

As well as working as a general medical practitioner in an Adelaide suburban practice, Andrew Ramsay is a part-time clinical tutor at The Flinders University Medical School. He has had a long association with obstetric care and was active in the areas of home birth and the development of midwife-centred care in South Australia. Andrew began conducting discussion groups for new and prospective parents in the 1970s and has continued this practice on and off to this day. Working as a member of the medical staff of a behavioural medicine clinic held weekly at Flinders Medical Centre led Andrew to a focus on counselling in his general medical practice and he currently conducts two half-day sessions a week devoted fully to counselling care.

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