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This is therefore safeguarding in action – a vital opportunity to gather and record this information as notes to be passed on to others throughout the journey of that emerging new and/or growing family. If these opportunities are missed, the awareness that things are ‘going wrong’ for a family may not occur until avoidable damage has occurred. Starting a conversation with the DadPad is a legitimate and important way in. We’ve had an especially busy year developing two core new products, both of which are due to be launched in January 2023 – and we’ll share much more about them then. The first thing to be aware of is that you will probably have heard mention of the mum suffering from ‘baby blues’ and might wonder what this is. Over 70% of new mums experience ‘baby blues’, and it’s not the same as PND. The Perinatal Mental Health Team at Worcestershire emphasise that it is, “ important for dads to be aware of baby blues and that it is ‘normal’. Women can be very tearful, emotional and upset during this time and may struggle to explain why. It will resolve itself after a couple of days. If it doesn’t, then it’s worth speaking to your midwife or health visitor.” of them were headed by parents in a heterosexual relationship, whether they were married or cohabiting; Where dads are concerned, though, as well as being alert to any of the above behaviours in yourself, you may experience PND in other ways. Kelly explains:
support programmes for fathers as well as mothers so that all children, but especially those who are living apart from their fathers, develop positive relationships with both parents of new dads with partners suffering from depression were also affected by depression themselves (Goodman, 2004) Social Care Institute for Excellence (2011) Think child, think parent, think family: a guide to parental mental health and child welfare. [ online] However, the last few months have meant that it’s been even more important to ensure that new versions of the DadPad app are being launched and released across the country; now, more than ever, dads need the additional support that the resource provides. helping him feel valued and recognised in his own right – despite all the negative emotions that might be around, he’s effectively being congratulated on having become a dad, and receiving something to signify this;
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Supporting each other: looking at perinatal mental health, relationships and surviving the first few months as a new parent. A key way to try and engage a reluctant new dad or dad-to-be, then, is to tell him that he is important and has a vital role to play; having a resource that has been written specifically for him helps to support that. Reassuringly, in the various NHS areas where the DadPad is currently being used, we have had interactions with same-sex commissioners and health professionals who understand and fully support our argument that changing the wording to be generic (i.e. from ‘DadPad’ to ‘ParentPad’) would only lead to non-engaged dads failing to identify with the resource, and thus completely defeating its primary purpose. What are we going to do about it? And there are at least 600,000 male suicides each year (with the figure probably even higher in reality, due to the stigma surrounding suicide)
The majority of the north, including Cheshire and Merseyside, Derbyshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and East Riding of Yorkshire. If possible, go to as many antenatal classes with your partner as you can. Although they won’t always cover aspects of mental health and wellbeing in detail, they are still a good thing to do, as Kelly Arnold explains: GW: It’s an important addition to Inspire Cornwall’s portfolio of resources which aim to support parents-to-be and new parents, as well as the healthcare professionals that support them. After all, we know that not every new non-birthing parent identifies as male and/or is in a heterosexual relationship.Fatherhood Institute [Burgess and Goodman] (2018) Who’s the Bloke in the Room? Full Report: [ online] GW: Because, as we’ve learned, not every non-birthing parent calls themselves ‘dad’, and not every ‘dad’ is the non-birthing parent (for example, Freddy McConnell) – and our unwavering belief has always been that ALL parents-to-be and new parents (birthing and non-birthing) need access to the best evidence-based information and support. the Every Child Matters report from 2003, which flagged up “ the vital role played by fathers as well as mothers”, and stressed the need for “ a stronger focus on parenting and families”, more “ support programmes for fathers as well as mothers” and more “ opportunities for families, and especially fathers, to become more closely involved in school life”;
JB: The Co-ParentPad’s main focus is to provide targeted information for LGBTQI+ non-gestational parents about the important things that they need to know during the perinatal period (that is, the period that runs from Day 1 of pregnancy, through birth and up to baby’s first birthday). Further, as with all our other resources, it’s also intended to be used by health professionals caring for new families to help build positive relationships and engage with both new parents at such a crucial time in their lives. The research evidence is clear on the fact that dads can and do suffer from perinatal mental health conditions – including post-natal depression – in the same way that mum can. However, for a whole host of reasons – including in particular cultural expectations of masculine behaviour, and a failure by the health services to offer the same degree of support, screening and assessment to dads during the perinatal period – dads are often not receiving support when they start to become ill, sometimes leading to tragic outcomes. For example, we know from perinatal mental health expert Dr Jane Hanley, that “ …with the reticence of fathers to express how they truly feel, it is not always possible to predict their behaviour. Studies have identified the risk of suicide in the postnatal period as almost 5% higher compared with fathers without depression.” By using the DadPad (alongside our social media, blogs and other outreach work) to raise awareness with dad of the fact that he could suffer with his mental health when he becomes a father, what symptoms to look out for, and where to go to seek help, we hope that we will be doing our bit to help. There are a number of issues that often get overlooked when it comes to mens’ relationship breakdowns and subsequent single-parenting including domestic abuse, access, financial agreements, bullying, anxiety, depression, and loneliness – advice, services and support are tailored towards your situation and your needs. Also being launched in January is our new, updated DadPad app platform. Having worked with the fab team at Vitamin and Vitamin Cornwall, the new platform will have lots of enhanced features that we’re really excited to share with you!
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The Parent-Infant Foundation’s Development and Implementation Toolkit – also from 2019 – emphasised the point that: dads have reported that, where they are encouraged by staff to get involved, or where staff made themselves available to parents when visiting the Unit, this had a positive impact on dads’ overall experience and limited their feelings of stress and fear that they were experiencing – having the DPNN as an integrated part of a Unit’s practice, better relationships will be formed between dad and the neonatal team, which will empower dads, helping them to feel more confident and more bonded with their baby. West Yorkshire & Harrogate: http://www.airedale-trust.nhs.uk/blog/dadpad-app-launches-in-west-yorkshire-and-harrogate/
Kerry adds, though, that whilst “ social media can be useful if following motivational and positive content, …it can also be an unwelcome distraction when used as a comparison tool.” letting him know that a path has been prepared for him, that the team around his family appreciates and understands how he’s going to be feeling, and that something has been purposely put in place to help make things as easy as possible for him;
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As a new dad, it’s common to feel excited but also left out, unsure or overwhelmed. The DadPad provides dad with the practical skills and information that he needs, which helps him become more confident in his new role. This enables him to not only feel included and involved as a parent, but also to become an active and engaged co-parent, alongside baby’s mum. As an ally to his partner, he will be best placed (and now sufficiently informed) to be able to spot potential issues within the family unit and to know the steps to take to resolve these. Knowledge of the roles played by health professionals will encourage him to seek and welcome their advice and support when necessary. Neonatal units are busy. It can be a rollercoaster ride for parents and, unfortunately, it is easy for dads to feel left out. So, to have something that gives them the information they need in such a usable format will really help. Personalising your care: knowing how to prepare yourself and your partner for your pregnancy journey; Dr Mayers also stresses that there are similarities and differences in PND for mums and dads. Firstly in your partner, there are a range of behaviours that you should be alert to and our experts each gave us some different suggestions on these; this just goes to show the many ways in which PND can present itself and/or be experienced. We’ll start with Kelly Arnold, Interim Perinatal Mental Health Team Lead at the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board:
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