According to a recent study, antenatal depression affects men, too, revealing that a first baby is a reality check as dads suddenly find they are no longer the centre of attention.
The study reveals that an astonishing number of fathers, nearly 13%, experience depressive symptoms during their partner's pregnancy. Very little research has been done on male reactions to pregnancy and childbirth. Becoming a first-time father is many things terrifying, joyful, nerve-racking, exciting but disagreeing, it is not. Although most men eventually come to savour the fantasy of being a father, they also dimly anticipate the reality and for a father, childbirth is the bonfire of the vanities.
As childbirth approaches, men have to face the fact that they are not as important as they thought they were; at least not in the way they thought they were. The arrival of a first baby from the point of view of the father is a massive shift, just as it is for the mother. Antenatal depression is rational enough and the solution is to keep reminding yourself that it can sometimes be hard to believe when you find yourself suddenly living on the fringes of your own life.
