Men’s experience of first fatherhood discovery: a descriptive study based on free hierarchical evocation by associative networks

ABSTRACT

Objective and Background: Men’s experiences of first-fatherhood discovery differ widely with various circumstances; they were examined according to the intended/unintended occurrence of partner’s pregnancy.

Methods: An Associative Network study targeted 44 first-time fathers and analysed their reactions to a stimulus-sentence ‘In the first days after pregnancy announcement … ’

Results: Word-associations formed 19 themes and 5 metathemes. The main metathemes were Emotional (30%), Cognitive (27%) and Relational (23%). Negative emotions were more frequent in unintended vs. intended pregnancies. Subthemes Chock, Feeling of unreality, Emotion control, Guilt, Denial, or Regret prevailed in unintended pregnancies. The major theme in all pregnancies was Personal advancement but subthemes Physical and psychological preparation and Responsibility prevailed in intended pregnancies vs. Acceptation and Personal progress in unintended pregnancies. Themes Relationships (with partner and others) were more frequently mentioned in unintended pregnancies vs. theme Logistics in intended pregnancies. Overall, the participants expressed opposed conflicting emotions but a desire for real involvement in pregnancy, birth, and child-raising.

Conclusion: The participants proved interested and concerned. Fathers’s presence and support should be solicited, accounted for, and valued by mothers-to-be and health professionals in all pregnancies. Involving fathers since pregnancy is essential for mental equilibrium, child-parent attachment, child and parent development, and family relationships.

KEYWORDS:

• Experience of pregnancy
• pregnancy discovery
• unintended pregnancy

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.