First-Time Fathers’ Experience of Support from Midwives in Maternity Clinics: An Interview Study

Abstract

The inductive results showed two main categories: <i>Experience of not knowing what support they needed</i> and <i>Experience of being excluded</i>. The fathers found support from other fathers in parental education classes, but they lack time to discuss. Overall it seems as if the fathers answered both from their own perspective and from the mothers' perspective. This was not evident in the deductive results. The FaPPs scale should therefore include <i>professionals' ability to strengthen social support from other first-time fathers</i> and <i>professionals' ability to offer support to the mother. Conclusion and Clinical Implications.</i> The fathers experienced exclusion both by themselves and also by midwives. Midwives should offer both parents the opportunity to pose questions. It is important for expectant fathers that time for discussion is planned in parental education classes. The FaPPS scale is useful but needs further development. Parts of our result are in line with earlier research, for decades; therefore it is necessary to focus more on support for fathers.