What about the dads

If
there is one thing I noticed after my daughter was born, it’s that there isn’t
enough support for new Dads.

I
had an emergency c-section when Quinn was born via general anesthetic so I
couldn’t do much following the birth. I also had a tough time emotionally and
struggled to bond with her. Mainly because of the c-section (I don’t remember most
of the first few hours, days even) and breastfeeding for me was a bust and I had my heart
set on breastfeeding. If you want to know more about that you can check out my
labour and delivery story on my YouTube channel.

Anyway,
the first week or so after coming home from hospital John really picked up the
slack with Quinn, he was up with her every night all night looking after her,
feeding and generally doing all the things I should have been doing because
that maternal instinct wasn’t switching on with me. My mum and mother-in-law
were there keeping the house in order so John and I could bond with Quinn but I
was so emotional that I felt like I was failing as a mother. Where the hell was
that “magical” feeling you are supposed to feel?! I"m so glad I found the
magic:-)

Midwives
would come in to see how Quinn and I were getting on, asking me if I was feeling
better, telling me how I can bond with Quinn, lots of skin to skin etc but not
one question to see how John was coping. John would literally sit there like “
er hello, I"m a parent too, I"m picking up all the slack here”. It wasn’t until
a couple of weeks later when I was feeling better that we spoke about it, that
we really noticed the lack of support for new dads out there. Everything is all
about the mother and how the mother is doing that it’s easy for the dads to be
forgotten.

Dads are parents too and need just
as much reassurance and guidance as the mums do. I’d love to know how many of
you out there felt the same when you children were born.