Lived experiences of Asian fathers during the early postpartum period: Insights from qualitative inquiry

Abstract

Objective: this study aims to understand fathers' expectations, needs, and experiences in infant care during the early postpartum period in Singapore.

Design: a descriptive qualitative study design was adopted.

Setting: the study was conducted in a tertiary public hospital in Singapore.

Participants: fifty participants (first-time as well as experienced fathers) were recruited from postnatal wards of a public hospital.

Findings: thematic analysis was used to analyze the interviews data. Four main themes emerged from the analysis: (1) support system of fathers, (2) paternal involvement in childcare, (3) challenges of fatherhood, and (4) recommendations by fathers.

Key conclusion: this study found that the postpartum period is a stressful period for both first-time and experienced fathers. Fathers desired to be involved but were hindered in many ways, such as maternal gatekeeping, work commitments, and a lack of infant care skills. Experienced fathers faced difficulty in assimilating older children with the newborn.

Implications for practice: fathers' needs to be involved in the infant and maternal care activities in the postpartum period. Necessary help from healthcare professionals and policymakers are needed for fathers to assimilate to fatherhood.

Keywords: Asian; Fathers; Infant; Postpartum period; Qualitative.