Paternal bonding in pregnancy and early parenthood: a qualitative study in first-time fathers

Figures & data

Table 1. Demographics.

Father	Group	Age	Education	Employed	Trimester	Child age^a	Child sex
1	Pregnant	25–30	Master’s degree	Full time	3		Unknown
2	Pregnant	30–35	Bachelor’s degree	Full time	2		Boy
3	Pregnant	25–30	Bachelor’s degree	Full time	3		Girl
4	Pregnant	35–40	Master’s degree	Full time	2		Girl
5	Pregnant	35–40	Master’s degree	Full time	3		Girl
6	Pregnant	25–30	Bachelor’s degree	Full time	3		Girl
7	Pregnant	30–35	Bachelor’s degree	Full time	2		Boy
8	Pregnant	30–35	PhD	Full time	3		Boy
9	Pregnant	30–35	Master’s degree	Full time	3		Girl
10	Pregnant	35–40	PhD	Full time	3		Boy
11	Postpartum	30–35	Bachelor’s degree	Full time		2	Boy
12	Postpartum	25–30	Master’s degree	Part time		6	Boy
13	Postpartum	35–40	Bachelor’s degree	Full time		3	Boy
14	Postpartum	25–30	Bachelor’s degree	Full time		6	Girl
15	Postpartum	30–35	Master’s degree	Full time		1	Girl
16	Postpartum	30–35	Bachelor’s degree	Full time		3	Girl
17	Postpartum	35–40	Master’s degree	Full time		4	Girl
18	Postpartum	35–40	Master’s degree	Part time		2	Boy
19	Postpartum	30–35	Master’s degree	Part time		2	Girl
20	Postpartum	30–35	Bachelor’s degree	Part time		4	Boy
21	Postpartum	35–40	Bachelor’s degree	Full time		1	Girl
22	Toddlerhood	30–35	Bachelor’s degree	Part time		28	Boy
23	Toddlerhood	40–45	Bachelor’s degree	Full time		33	Girl
24	Toddlerhood	35–40	Master’s degree	Part time		31	Girl
25	Toddlerhood	35–40	Vocational degree	Full time		34	Girl
26	Toddlerhood	35–40	Master’s degree	Part time		26	Boy
27	Toddlerhood	35–40	Master’s degree	Part time		33	Boy
28	Toddlerhood	35–40	Master’s degree	Part time		33	Boy
29	Toddlerhood	35–40	Bachelor’s degree	Full time		25	Boy
30	Toddlerhood	35–40	PhD	Part time		27	Boy

Note. ^aIn months.

Figure 1. Graphical overview of major themes and subthemes.

Table 2. Overview of major and subthemes, codes, and examples of condensed meaningful units.

Major theme	Subtheme	Code	Example condensed meaningful unit
Feelings of bonding	From abstract to concrete	Abstract or unreal	It feels unreal because there is no physical experience of the child
		Distance	Feels distant towards child because no physical experience of the child and not able to hold it
		Realization	In the beginning of the pregnancy, it is hard to imagine. Over time, the idea of becoming a father gets more real and tangible.
		More awareness	In the beginning of the pregnancy, it is not comprehendible. Over time, it gets more concrete.
	Positive emotions	Loving and caring	Feeling an unconditional love for the child.
		Happiness and pride	Feeling proud when thinking about the child.
		Closeness and togetherness	Feeling like being a family.
		Curiosity	Curious and looking forward to meeting the child.
	Uncertainties and worries	Worries	Worrying about how things will be like after the child is born.
		Responsibilities	Feeling responsible because a new-born child is not capable of doing anything and therefore completely dependent.
		Uncertainties	Feeling insecure when child cries and not being able to help, that affects one’s self-confidence.
Facilitators of bonding	Experiencing the foetus	Ultrasound scans	Overwhelmed by seeing the ultrasound scan, realising that there is a child, makes it tangible.
		Foetal movement	Feeling the child gave rise to the first feelings of a connection.
		Interaction	Having the idea that child responds to touch, those moments are valuable.
		Heartbeat	Hearing the heartbeat is an important moment, that brings you close to the birth of the child.
	Meeting the child	Birth	The connection that was felt during the pregnancy is not comparable with what is felt after birth
	Interaction	Caregiving	At first, it is all about basic caregiving.
		Interaction	The best thing is when the child is laughing. Playing and laughing are the moments when the connection is felt most strongly.
	Communication	One-sided	Communication is not really possible because there is no response from the child.
		Communication	The child can now indicate what they want, which is nice.