Men’s experience of the transition to first-time fatherhood during their partner’s pregnancy: an interpretative phenomenological analysis

Abstract

Fatherhood is a social construct that is continuously shaped by societal and cultural changes. As a result, fathering responsibilities are (re)conceptualised and (re)configured over time and across generations, which, in turn, affect men’s expectations and experiences of becoming fathers for the first time. Today, the father role is understood to be equally important to a mother’s role in terms of parenting, placing more expectations on a father than ever before. Unfortunately, the transition to fatherhood, particularly during the prenatal period, has been much less focussed upon compared to the transition to motherhood. Consequently, this study is interested in giving voice to expectant fathers so as to provide an in-depth exploration of their experiences during their partner’s pregnancy. Data is collected from seven participants using semi-structured interviews and analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The findings suggest that not only did the prenatal period entail a shifting sense of self but it also included experiencing intense and conflicting psychological and emotional states. Participants often felt that their experiences were overlooked by others, with a lack of support resources available to them. Implications for counselling psychologists, including other healthcare professionals, are discussed in terms of both research and practice. Suggestions for future research are also made