When Men Become Fathers: Childbirth, From A Man's Perspective

Nothing really happens as such when men become fathers. The only role a father gets to play in the life of his children, apart from giving them his name, is to provide for their needs. All the glory, all the happiness, and all the euphoria that the newborn brings along is for the mother. It is she who carried them in her womb. It is she who, at the risk of her life, went through the trauma of child birth. Now she is the one who shall nurse the lil angel through infancy.

All That Has Changed Now

Until recently, the father was happy with this situation. After all, who wanted to hold a tiny delicate bundle that would cry or pee any moment, or sleep all the time? The fear of causing any unintended harm just about matched the fear of the guys finding out and calling you a sissy for wanting to hold your child.

But that is not true any more. Men want to take an active part in parenting, and the society has also started recognizing this. After all, parenting is all about raising a family and a family is complete only with all the three units playing active roles- child, mother, and the father.

With the nuclear family system and fulltime responsibilities outside the home for husband and wife, traditional gender based roles no longer serve the purpose.

Doctors have welcomed the husband into the labor room with greater success. Men have started taking active care of the mother and the baby. Interacting with the child has taken on a new meaning in dad’s life and he actually enjoys it. Not only does he get to share an amazingly special relationship with the baby, his relationship with his wife also changes for the better.

The corporate sector has taken note of this trend and there are now paid leaves for fatherhood. With the society taking the right turn, it is your turn now, I believe, to hop on the bandwagon and fill your life with toothless smiles and baby talk.