CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS Overview

Expectant fathers can sometimes experience worries before, during, and several months after the birth of the baby. Some of the concerns are finances, the health of mom and baby, and the relationship between the mother and father (White, 1998). These concerns can progress into fears and/or distress, which may interfere with a successful transition to fatherhood. One

Australian study discovered that 18.6% of 312 men in the sample suffered from high levels of psychological distress during the pregnancy (Boyce at al., 2007). Prior research has established that there is a gap in the literature with regard to what is actually known about the worries and concerns of expectant fathers (Biehle & Mickelson, 2011).

The transition to fatherhood consists of numerous challenges, and yet very little attention has been given to the early identification of needs to meet these challenges among expectant fathers (Fletcher at al., 2008). Princeton's Center for Research on Child Wellbeing found that the months preceding the birth are when fathers are most receptive to making the necessary changes to meet the challenges that lie ahead with fatherhood (Bishop at al., 2008). Understanding these transitional experiences is vital to the development of educational programs that assist expectant fathers in becoming successful fathers. The first three of the five themes that emerged from this study were related to fears of preparing for fatherhood, health of mom and baby, and getting back to normalcy in their relationship with their significant other. These themes aligned with the prior research completed with regard to what concerns expectant fathers may experience. The second set of themes gave a greater context to how the BCND program helped the participants to cope with their fears. The remaining two themes demonstrated the importance of community and

the modeling of critical skills to overcome the difficulties associated with transitioning to fatherhood.

Summary of Findings

This collective case study utilized 16 expectant fathers participating from the BCND program. Semistructured interviews and focus groups provided the study with descriptive narratives to explore the fears of the participants. The Kessler-6 scale and field note reviews provided further validation of themes and trends revealed in the interviews and focus groups.

The five themes are:

1. Am I prepared for fatherhood?

2. Will mom and baby be in good health?

3. Will I ever get my wife back?

4. I’m not alone.

5. If the veteran dads can do this, so can I.

After the completion of the data collection, an inductive analysis was performed to uncover patterns, themes, and categories in the data (Patton, 2002). Codes were identified from the interviews, focus group, Kessler-6 results, and field notes. Within-case analysis was

conducted to discover these codes through highlighting key words and phrases that were supported in previous research for formulating emerging themes. This was also used as a baseline for identifying important contextual information about each case. Then a cross-case analysis was conducted to determine common patterns among all cases, and this was the basis for the final themes (Creswell, 2007). The following research questions informed the study:

1. How do expectant fathers in the BCND program cope with fears during the course of the pregnancy?

2. How do expectant fathers perceive events that tend to trigger these fears during the pregnancy?

3. How do expectant fathers in the BCND program experience fears during the course of the pregnancy and one month after the birth of the baby?

4. How do fathers report participating in the BCND program has helped them develop and utilize strategies to cope with fears during the pregnancy?

The findings for the first three research questions suggest that the fears for this group of expectant fathers may be rooted in the perception that they are unprepared for fatherhood, that some unforeseen medical condition may occur in the mother or baby, and their changing family dynamics will affect their relationship with their significant other in a negative way. The findings for the last research question were that the expectant fathers gained confidence from conversing with and observing other veteran fathers who shared their experiences of pregnancy and

childbirth. Another benefit was the dissemination of valuable information and skills with regard to caring for new mothers and babies. The BCND model of veteran fathers modeling the

behaviors in person resonated greatly with the participants. The findings will be discussed in further detail in the following sections.

Discussion

The data collected from the interviews, focus groups, Kessler-6 scale, and field notes concluded that the fears that this group of expectant fathers faced were rooted in their concern for the health and welfare of the mother and baby, their changing relationship and family dynamics with the mother of the baby, and whether or not they were adequately prepared to become a successful father. Trembley and Pierce (2011) found that the relationship between

mother and father is reciprocal in nature. In essence, this dynamic could be explained as what one feels or does affects the perception of the other.

The results of this study also demonstrated that expectant fathers sometimes struggled with the changing context that occurs during the transition to fatherhood. After data analysis was completed the participants of this study provided evidence that paternal focused prenatal

education may provide a much needed boost in confidence levels during the late stages of pregnancy and one month postnatal. The responses from the participants also demonstrated that there was perceived value in the social communication and demonstration that took place between the rookie and veteran fathers in the BCND program. These educational experiences may provide much needed strategies and additional context for adapting to these changes that occur during the pregnancy and several months postnatal. Moreover if the expectant father is more confident, the expectant mother will benefit emotionally as well.

A study conducted by Fenwick et al. (2012) explored and described men’s experiences with five themes: pregnancy news, profound change adjusting to pregnancy, birth looming, feeling sidelined, and childbirth expectations. Adjusting to the news of pregnancy often increased fear and anxiety, and the researchers stated that understanding men’s prenatal

experiences was vital to the development of prenatal preventative measures for men. Moreover, the significance lies within the reality that the father’s well-being was associated with the mothers’ well-being. The two specific areas of caring for new mothers and babies was held in high regard with this group of expectant fathers. The participants shared their relevant

experiences and questions with the veteran fathers. This interaction helped them to gain a more informed perspective for making choices with regard to caring for mom and baby.

A study conducted by Patterson (1998) found that a father-focused discussion group that emphasized coping skills increased their interpersonal reasoning with their spouse, participated more actively housework, enhanced their coping through social support, and sought more information from their OB-GYN. These five identified themes of: Am I prepared for

fatherhood?, Will mom and baby be in good health?, Will I ever get my wife back?, I’m not alone, and If the vet dads can do this, so can I, illustrate many of the common fears and coping skills that can be encountered during the pregnancy and the birth of a baby. The first three themes aligned well with the current body of research targeting the concerns and difficulties of transitioning to fatherhood (Biehle & Mickelson, 2011; Genesoni & Tallandini, 2009; Marsiglio, 2008; White; 1998). The last two themes aligned well with peer-reviewed literature that focused on paternal prenatal education (Bishop et al., 2008; Capuozzo at al., 2010).