Becoming a Dad Can Affect Your Mental Health Too
Becoming a dad can be one of the biggest changes in a man’s life. There can be love, excitement and pride, but alongside those feelings there can also be uncertainty, exhaustion, pressure and an enormous sense of responsibility.
We often talk about a mother’s mental health during pregnancy and after a baby is born, and rightly so. But I think we also need to make sure dads are included in these conversations.
Men can struggle during the transition into fatherhood too.
It might look like anxiety or constantly feeling on edge. It might be irritability, frustration, withdrawing from other people, changes in sleep or feeling disconnected from your partner or baby. Sometimes it is simply an overwhelming feeling of:
“Everyone is relying on me and I don't know if I'm coping.”
One of the most important things I want men to know is that struggling with fatherhood does not mean you don't love your baby or your family.
You can adore your child and still find becoming a dad incredibly difficult.
You can be grateful for your family and still feel overwhelmed.
You can support your partner and still need somebody to support you.
There is no shame in saying that things aren't feeling quite right or that you're finding the transition harder than you expected.
Fatherhood doesn't mean you suddenly have to have everything figured out.
Dads need looking after too.
If you're struggling, please give yourself permission to talk about it. You deserve somewhere to be heard, not just somewhere you're expected to be strong.
With love,
Maggie
Space to Breathe Therapy
