Making gender equality real

Summary Details

Four week antenatal courses tailored for men to introduce them to what to expect during and after childbirth. The courses cover the topics of: labour and birth, postnatal depression, coping with a crying baby and baby care.

Young dads 2b is an 8 week, referral-only course for young dads. The course looks at: labour and birth, life with a new baby, caring for a newborn, fathers’ health, relaxation, emotions and contraception.

These courses are the result of a partnership between the West Lothian Council Sure Start team and Parent Education Services at St John’s Hospital in West Lothian.

Target Group

Dads in West Lothian. Young dads 2b is for dads aged 21 years or under.

Approach

The pilot was launched in March 2004 to provide and assess demand for antenatal classes for expectant fathers. Dads 2b aims to increase confidence in supporting partners through childbirth and caring for their baby. The course also highlighted issues of mental health and wellbeing.

The Dads 2b course was initially set up in a socially deprived area and aimed at vulnerable and very young fathers. However, the need for a more generic course soon became apparent. The course was therefore adapted to accommodate working dads.

The courses now run for 4 weeks with optional extra sessions. Each group has an overall facilitator with input from a midwife, early years development worker and visiting dads, who share their own experiences of parenting.

Outcomes

76 dads attended the 2004 dads 2b pilot, a greater number than expected. The service was then mainstreamed in response to this success and demand. Over 400 dads have accessed the service and it has achieved good practice recognition by Quality Improvement Scotland. Services in other areas have observed the courses with a view to replicating them. The courses continue to evolve and adapt to meet changing needs.

Future development plans include: expanding the courses to other areas in Lothian; creating databases of those attending; undertaking research into the achievement of the course aims; and developing a national website and toolkit.

Strengths

The courses largely provide practical support on how to care for a baby, including: coping with a crying baby, baby massage, handling, dressing, changing and bathing. The young dads programme also includes exercises and play.

There is also an emphasis in the courses on understanding postnatal depression and mental health issues for both men and women. Information is provided on recognising depression, how to seek help and on the support services available.

This is a pioneering approach in the area of antenatal support for men.

User Feedback

“Very practical, hands on, better than reading books”

“Just being able to discuss our feelings openly was helpful”

“I feel ready to take on the challenge, without the course I would feel very apprehensive”

“Feel confident… Told me things which I had not thought about, but now seems like common sense”

“Don’t miss it, every dad should go.”

Further Information