Baby Blues?
Something we need to be aware of...
Expecting your first child (or your second, etc…) is an incredible exciting time. However, when the big day arrives and the baby is here the pressure for a dad can sometimes be overwhelming. Then again, we have the easy part. I’m not sure if it’s instinctual or not but after the incredible rush of being at the delivery there was a sense of calm within me and this “lion factor” seemed to creep in and take over. The lion factor, as I call it, was this incredible sense of protecting the baby and making sure the mother was fine. It was as if the world had stopped and my only objective was to ensure baby and mommy were safe.
The first time I really noticed the lion factor was when I was watching my baby through the window of the nursery with all the other fathers. Along with sharing the birth stories and casual greetings, I could not help but think about protecting my child from any of these people. You hear too many horror stories of a baby being taken from a hospital, well not on my watch – not my baby! Overreaction or lion factor? For those of you who have a child it’s definitely the lion factor.
The lion factor also carried over to the mom. You guys know it; you get everything your partner needs to make her comfortable. It’s at this point where us dads need to be even more aware of our internal “lion”. There are too many storied of abuse of children by their own mothers. That statement sounds a bit crazy, why would a mother who carried a child until delivery want to hurt her baby? The answer is Postpartum Depression. The effects of postpartum depression can have disturbing and haunting result. The good news is more attention is being brought to this topic. What does your lion factor have to do with postpartum depression? Everything. As the protector of your child and the mother you need to be aware of any signs that might indicate a problem. Most would say – this is all junk, my wife (or partner) is never depressed I don’t have to worry about any of this stuff! Well, go as Brook Shields about her experience of having a baby.
I’m no expert and don’t pretend to be, but a few clicks on the web and you can get some information. For a great overview and some facts on postpartum depression every expecting father should know, go to the WebMD web site and look up postpartum depression (try this site - http://my.webmd.com/content/article/62/71508.htm). Armed with information it can really make a difference in those first few weeks after the baby is born (the first 3 weeks are the toughest).
Feel free to submit any resources or stories on this topic that will assist out community by adding to this blog below.
Posted on Friday, September 21st, 2007 at 4:55 pm.
Filed under Daddy Blog, Baby is Here!, Daddy Needs to Know.
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