Fathers’ Perspectives on Fatherhood and Paternal Involvement During Pregnancy and Childbirth

Abstract

There is limited research that specifically explores paternal involvement during pregnancy and childbirth. To address this gap, we completed a series of focus groups with fathers to examine social, cultural, and environmental factors that influence behaviors among new fathers while also providing community perspectives on men’s experiences seeking care pre- and postdelivery. We used a phenomenological thematic approach to analyze data from 10 focus groups from five of the six Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health-Community Care Initiative pilot sites collected between November 2021 and April 2022. The average age of fathers was 33.9 years (range = 24–61 years). The majority (86.25%) of men were African American, and approximately one sixth of focus group participants (16.25%) were Hispanic or Latino. Four key themes emerged: the importance and meaning of fatherhood, accessibility during pregnancy and childbirth, engagement during pregnancy and childbirth, and responsibility of fathers during pregnancy and childbirth. These fathers not only understood and embraced the awesome responsibility they had for their unborn child, but they also recognized and were invested in being present, accessible, engaged, and responsible to the pregnant woman during the pregnancy. Practitioners and policy makers should work to engage fathers as early in the pregnancy as possible; monitor father’s mental health and financial stress; provide resources to educate fathers on maternal health, pregnancy, and childbirth; and emphasize fathers’ rights, roles, and responsibilities.