Support for dads
If at any time you are worried about your baby’s health and development, your relationship with your baby or your own or your partners emotional wellbeing you can contact us for advice and support.
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Becoming a new parent can be an exciting but challenging time. The Health Visiting team not only supports mums and babies, it is also here to support you with your parenting journey. Your health visitor can support you with a number of topics, including:
- practical aspects of infant and maternal care in the perinatal period - to get support for mental health and wellbeing
- managing changes in your relationship with your partner
- the physical and emotional demands in the early days/weeks after birth
- recognising signs and triggers of poor mental health
- the difficulties fathers may face in early fatherhood e.g., sleep deprivation/ exhaustion/ and what to do when things go wrong.
On this page, you will find information to support you in your journey as a new dad, including:
- developing an attachment with your baby
- how your baby’s brain develops
- supporting your partner with breastfeeding
- safe sleep
- recognising signs of low mood/anxiety in yourself and your partner
- information on managing a crying baby
- useful resources to aid your parenting journey.
How can I form a good attachment with my new baby?
Did you know you can begin to build an attachment with your baby even before they are born?
You can sing and talk and read to your partner’s bump as well as to your new baby. Babies can hear you from around the 15th week of pregnancy.
Getting involved in care such as changing nappies, bath time, feeding your baby if they are bottle fed, winding your new baby or putting them down for their nap.
Having skin to skin with your new baby from birth and beyond will increase both yours and your baby’s oxytocin’s levels and help you to bond (oxytocin is the love hormone and will help you create a strong attachment with your baby).
Supporting your partner with breastfeeding
If your partner is breastfeeding your baby, there are several ways you can offer support:
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encourage your partner and reassure her, let her know how proud you are of her
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sit with her when she feeds, stroke baby and talk to him/her
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make sure mum is comfy, offer to adjust any cushions, get her a drink and snack
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enjoy time together as a new family getting to know each other. Keep visitors at bay for a while and help with household chores.
Baby brain development
Baby’s brains grow at a rapid rate. The experiences your baby has in the first two years of life are key for their lifelong health and development. You can support healthy brain development by talking, singing, playing, reading, and consistently responding to your new baby with gentle interactions.
Safe sleep for your new baby
The safest way for your baby to sleep is on their back with their feet touching the bottom of the crib/Moses basket. Their sleeping area should be firm, flat and clear of excess blankets, pillows and toys. Further information on safe sleep
Low mood and anxiety in you and partner
Research tells us that 1 in 10 dads will experience a mental health difficulty during their partners pregnancy or in the first years of their child’s life. This may cause a dad to feel sad, worried, angry, feel fearful, withdraw from social events, or use substances such as alcohol or drugs to cope as well as a number of other symptoms.
Research also shows us that 1 in 5 mums will experience a mental health difficulty following the birth of their baby. If you or your partner appear low in mood, are not enjoying things that used to make you happy, suffer from insomnia or feel detached from your baby please speak to your partner and seek support.
More information about postnatal depression:
You can speak to your health visitor or GP about your mental health.
Local NHS Talking therapies services for Dorset:
All babies cry, it is natures way of ensuring that you as a parent are paying attention and that baby gets their needs met.
It is normal for babies to cry more frequently and for longer from two weeks of age and for the crying to settle down again from eight weeks. There are many reasons your baby may cry, but whatever the reason it can be upsetting and frustrating especially if you are already feeling stressed.
I – infant crying is normal.
C – comforting methods can help.
O – it’s OK to walk away.
N- never, ever shake a baby.
If you are worried about your own or your partners mental health or about coping with your baby’s crying, please do talk to someone. Your GP, midwife or health visitor are a good starting point, and you won’t be telling them anything they haven’t heard before.
When babies cry it can be stressful and overwhelming. Help is out there and all you need to do is ask.
Useful contacts
By phone
- The Samaritans: 116 123
- Connection (support in a mental health crisis): 0800 652 0190
- Shout (24/7 mental health text support): text Shout to 85258
- Refuge men’s advice line (domestic abuse): 0808 8010327
- CRY-SIS National helpline (support coping with a crying baby): 08451 228669
- National breastfeeding helpline: 0300 100 0212
Websites
Parents