“Nothing’s actually happened to me.”: the experiences of fathers who found childbirth traumatic

Abstract

BackgroundGiven the limited research into men’s experiences of being present at childbirth this study explored the experiences of fathers who found childbirth traumatic. The aim of the research was to investigate how men coped with these experiences; the impact on their lives; and their views on what may have helped to reduce distress.MethodsParticipants were recruited via websites relating to birth trauma and parenthood. A consent and screening questionnaire was used to ensure that participants met the inclusion criteria of: being resident in the UK; being 16 years or older; having been present at the birth and answering yes to the question “At some point during the childbirth I experienced feelings of intense fear, helplessness or horror”. Semi-structured telephone interviews were completed with 11 fathers who reported finding childbirth traumatic. Participants also completed the Impact of Event Scale as a measure of trauma symptoms. Template Analysis was used to analyse the interview data.ResultsChildbirth was experienced as “a rollercoaster of emotion” because of the speed and unexpectedness of events. Men described fears of death, mirroring their partner’s distress; trying ‘to keep it together’ and helplessly watching a catastrophe unfold. Fathers felt themselves abandoned by staff with a lack of information. Men were subsequently distressed and preoccupied with the birth events but tended to feel that their responses were unjustified and tried to cope through avoidance. Men described the need for support but reluctance to receive it.ConclusionsFathers may experience extreme distress as a result of childbirth which is exacerbated by aspects of current maternity care. Maternity services need to be aware of the potential impacts of fathers’ attendance at childbirth and attend to fathers’, as well as mothers’, emotional responses.

Be quiet and man up: a qualitative questionnaire study into fathers who witnessed their Partner’s birth trauma

“…The impact of traumatic birth had serious implications for some of the participants in the current study, with mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, postnatal stress, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and PTSD symptoms being described. Similar mental health difficulties and relationship problems for fathers following their traumatic experiences have been reported elsewhere [6][7][8][9]. Fathers also talked about how the relationship with their infant had been affected.…”

“…Vogel et al [19] reported similar findings. Previous studies have shown how fathers' coping strategies were influenced by their beliefs about masculinity [8] and how men experience psychological distress when they fail to live up to internalised beliefs of masculinity [27]. Fathers may struggle with overcoming trauma and seeking help.…”

“…Limited research has addressed the impact of traumatic birth on fathers. Etheridge and Slade [8] in a qualitative study, examined the impact of their partners' birth trauma in 11 fathers. They found that fathers experienced birth as a rollercoaster of emotions, characterised by 'isolation and abandonment'.…”

Be Quiet and Man Up: A Qualitative Questionnaire Study into Fathers Who Witnessed Their Partner’s Birth Trauma

“…Limited research has addressed the impact of traumatic birth on fathers. Etheridge and Slade (2017) in a qualitative study, examined the impact of their partners' birth trauma in 11 fathers. They found that fathers experienced birth as a rollercoaster of emotions, characterised by 'isolation and abandonment'.…”

PTSS in fathers of VLBW infants two to four years postpartum: A pilot study.

“…A recent qualitative study of fathers who experienced a traumatic birth and met some PTSD criteria suggested that the subjective nature of the perception of the birth was crucial and this may have implications for the development of PTSD symptomology (Etheridge & Slade, 2017). Recent work has shown that it is feasible and acceptable to fathers to administer multiple research questionnaires when investigating this area (Bagge, Westgate, Few, Clarke, & Adlam, 2017).…”