She had me wrapped around her tiny finger from the moment I laid eyes on my little girl. She had ten fingers and ten toes, and the most beautiful head of curls in the world. And I knew that I would do anything for her. But I never knew what all that would entail. This happens to many new parents as they transition into being a parent. Fathers, and mothers, are told what to expect when a baby comes into the household, but they are never fully prepared for what happens after the pregnancy and birth. “At the moment a baby is born; so is a new parent” (Levine et al., 2011, p.181). And being a new parent brings along the realization of all that you have to do, and all you have to go through, for your baby. The transition to fatherhood usually includes the identifiers of, according to Fox (2001), the helper and the provider. Each of these roles involves the ups, such as excitement, delight, and maturity (Chin, R. et al., 2011). Then there are the downs, such as stress, exhaustion, and a feeling of helplessness (Chin, R. et al., 2011).
As the official “helper” in the house, the father has many new responsibilities. First and foremost in those are watching after the mother, share the tasks of taking care of the child, and take over much of the house hold chores. After a baby is born, there is a high possibility that the mother could start to show symptoms of post-partum depression. The father needs to watch for signs of this, which can begin with having a loss of appetite, insomnia, and intense irritability and anger (Liu, C. H., & Tronick, E., 2012). Making sure the mother is eating, that you are listening to her, and that, every once in a while, he sends her out for a day on her own to relax. Since mothers are usually very tired ...
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...mes next. But along with that excitement there is much anxiety. The father is usually very uncertain with child care skills (Barry, A.A. et al., 2011), and is unsure if what he is doing is the right thing. With all the stress that comes from caring for the mother and child, fathers can start to show symptoms of depression and loneliness (Barry, A.A. et al., 2011). The more depressed a father is the less time he is going to take to learn the skills needed to care for the child. This can really hurt the father-baby relationship because the father would not be spending as much time with the baby as the mother would be (Barry, A.A. et al., 2011). Fatherhood can be a stressful time for fathers because of all the responsibility that is now on their shoulders. But with patience and the willingness to learn, a father can really enjoy the transition into being a parent.
After giving birth, women will have hormonal oscillations (Rosequist). In the meanwhile, their bodies are getting back to their normal state, however if that “blues” does not go away, it can evolve in a deep depression. As she recalls, saying: “And yet I cannot be with him, it make me so nervous”(Gilman), it is obvious that Post-Partum depression is the cause of her poor attachment with the child; the mother can be hazardous to the baby; mood swing occur, and in extremes circumstances, about 1 in 1,000, it can bring psychotic indications (Hilts). If this condition if left untreated, it can cause serious psychological and physical damages. Treatment would include anti-depressants and therapy. This can also trigger other types of mental
One cannot raise a child without mutual respect. Emotion and anxiety must drive her instincts. Her ability to foster is only heightened by personal imperfections and overwhelming responsibility that lead to a lack of confidence. Yet the prevailing characteristic that separates a ‘birth giver’ from a ‘mother’ is the unconditional, undying, and at times underestimated love for her child. To be a mother in the purest sense, she must embrace this notion of nurture.
Pregnancies are often correlated with the assumption that it will bring happiness to the household and ignite feelings of love between the couple. What remains invisible is how the new responsibilities of caring and communicating with the baby affects the mother; and thus, many women experience a temporary clinical depression after giving birth which is called postpartum depression (commonly known as postnatal depression) (Aktaş & Terzioğlu, 2013).
Up to 80 percent of new mothers experience some kind of depresson up to one year after giving birth. Known to most as the "Baby Blues" a mild depression that if continues can be come something much more powerful and even more dangerous. In some women they may experience psychosis, where in some cases they try to kill their children.
What would you do if your wife or your relative had postpartum depression after giving birth to her child? Would you try to help her by talking to her, or by taking her to a psychologist, or would you lock her in a house where she has no one to talk to and doesn’t get any professional help? Postpartum depression is a type of depression that occurs within three months following childbirth and symptoms can include delusions, hallucinations, marked illogical thought, thinking of suicide, and fear of hurting the baby (Dictionary of Psychology 551). Recent research shows that postpartum depression affects 10 percent of women in the months following the birth of a child (Depression Statistics: Women Fact Information).
The fear of childbirth is very common among many expecting parents. The thought of being able to cope with the pain, any childbirth-related injuries and even the possibility of needing a cesarean section is very intimidating for many. Not to mention everything that happens after the baby is born, such as being able to feed and nurture the child. Challenges can occur during and after pregnancy. Postpartum depression can arise after birth due to hormonal changes, psychological adjustment, and fatigue. Another challenge is breast-feeding; although it is very nourishing for your baby many women have problems dealing with this. Most parents are able to prepare themselves for pregnancy and raising a child, but what most expecting parents do
Postpartum depression is indeed a major psychological disorder that can affect the relationship between mother and baby. At this time, the cause of postpartum depression is unidentified, although several factors experienced during pregnancy can contribute to this disorder. Fluctuating hormone levels have been traditionally blamed for the onset of postpartum depression. Jennifer Marie Camp (2013), a registered nurse with a personal history of postpartum depression, states in the Intentional Journal of Childbirth Education that “current research demonstrates that PPD may be a compilation of numerous stressors encountered by the family, including biochemical, genetic, psychosocial factors and everyday life stress” (Camp, 2013, p. 1). A previous history of depression, depression during pregnancy, financial difficulties, a dif...
Children are the pride and joy of many homes, but often parents’ struggles to meet the needs of their children. Some two-parent income home has been cut into a single parent home, due to divorce, lost of jobs, redundancy at work, and one parent leaving their job to become full time parents. With financial strains comes distress and discomfort in the home when the main breadwinner is unable to meet the needs of his or her family. For some families, nuclear, extended, or single parent, the birth of a baby brings tremendous joy and happiness. However, in some circumstances new birth can have a negative impact on the family. The birth of a baby can cause emotional strain and detachment, financial difficulties and sibling rivalry.
Transition to parenthood is one of the most demanding and increasingly complex life experiences that sets a couple’s future relationship trajectory for determining the quality and stability of their relationship (Kluwer, 2010). The infant’s arrival requires the couple to adjust not only to daily baby care chores but also to the new roles of parents, often leaving the interpersonal relationship between husband and wife to a low priority. The prevailing majority of scholarship describe different levels of decline in the quality of marital relationship postpartum (Wallace & Gotlib, 1990; Helms-Erikson, 2001; Twenge, Campbell, & Foster, 2003; Mitnick, Heyman, & Smith Slep, 2009; Kluwer, 2010; Umberson, Pudrovska, & Reczek, 2010). At the same time, some scholarship explains how couples have more joy, happiness and a sense of fulfillment in life because of the baby (Petch & Halford, 2008; Nelson et al., 2013), while other findings report identical levels of marital happiness before and after birth of the baby (Amato et al., 2003). A genuine controversy lies in whether a decrease or increase of couple happiness takes place at transition to parenthood. During this transitioning process, new sets of tasks challenge the couples to act in new roles and adjust their daily routines, behavior, and relationship. When the couples experience less relationship distress in completing the transition tasks, they have a higher potential to create a positive context for raising an emotionally and physically healthy child and less chances for divorce. Because divorce has negative lasting effects on descendants for the next three generations, including lower education attainment, lower income, higher relationship distress, and higher chances...
There are many different areas to consider when preparing for and having a newborn. Whether the pregnancy was planned or unplanned or the couple is married or not, a newborn baby brings new responsibilities. Having a baby also forces people to make adjustments both financially and within the family. Parents also express concerns and expectations when having a newborn comma especially when it is their first; including what roles each parent and family member should play, how much confidence they have in their parenting skills, and how much financial strain would be placed on the family once the newborn has arrived. The newest issue in today’s society is the fact that many women are delaying childbirth and having more children in their later years of life.
Ramona T. Mercer is the theorist credited for developing the theory of Maternal Role Attainment, which is also known as the theory of Becoming a Mother. “Maternal role attainment is an interactional and developmental process occurring over time in which a mother becomes attached to her infant, acquires competence in the caretaking tasks involved in the role, and expresses pleasure and gratification in the role (Tomey & Alligood, 2006, p. 608). Mercer’s career has been primarily focused in pediatrics, obstetrics, and maternal-child nursing. Mercer’s greatest accolades have been based on her extensive research on the topic of maternal role and development (Tomey & Alligood, 2006, p. 605).
Since the beginning of time, fathers have had a profound effect on their child’s development. Over the years, the norm for traditional family dynamics of having a father figure in the household has changed drastically, and so did the roles of the parents. It is not as common as it used to be to have a father or father figure in the home. In this day and age, women are more likely to raise children on their own and gain independence without the male assistance due to various reasons. The most significant learning experience and development of a person’s life takes place in their earlier years when they were children. There are many advantages when there is a mother and father combined in a
Attachment is crucial to the survival and development of the infant. Kenneth and Klaus points out that the parents bond to their child may be the strongest of all human ties. This relationship has two unique characteristics. First, before birth one individual infant gestates within a part of the mothers body and second, after birth she ensures his survival while he is utterly dependent on her and until he becomes a separate individual. According to Mercer, the power of this attachment is so great that it enables the mother and father to make the unusual sacrifices necessary for the care of their infant. Day after day, night after night; changing diapers, attending to cries, protecting the child from danger, and giving feed in the middle of the night despite their desperate need to sleep (Mercer 22). It is important to note that this original parent-infant tie is the major source for all of the infant’s subsequent attachment and is the formative relationship in the course of which the child develops a sense of himself. Throughout his lifetime the strength and character of this attachment will influence the quality of all future ties to other individuals. The question is asked, "What is the normal process by which a father and mother become attached to a healthy infant?"...
The role of a father is more than just another parent at home (Popenoe, 1996). Having a father, the male biological parent in a child’s life is important because it brings a different type of parenting that cannot be replicated by anyone else (Stanton, 2010). Fathers who are present and active in a child’s life provide great benefits to a developing child (Popenoe, 1996). Having a father brings a different kind of love. The love of the father is more expectant and instrumental, different from the love of a mother (Stanton, as cited in Pruett, 1987).
Mothers are the primary caretakers of the children. The fathers have had minimal care taking responsibilities. Many women, if they had a career before hand, have to give it up to stay at home with the child. Although, many fathers where the wives must work become important in the process of care taking because their role must increase to their children. Studies of human fathers and their infants confirm that many fathers can act sensitively with their infant (according to Parke & Sawin, 1980) and their infants form attachments to both their mothers and fathers at roughly the same age (according to Lamb, 1977).