Depressed Dads Need Help Too

Is post-natal depression possible if you weren’t the one pregnant and having huge hormonal changes?

Yes, it is. And people need to know about this if they want to help new families be the happiest they can be.

Having a baby is a huge life change, whether you are the new mother or the new father.

“New parents can be faced with sleep deprivation, changes in lifestyle, changes in their relationship and new responsibilities all at once, and we don’t always remember that this is going to be an issue for men as well as for women.”

Research has shown that somewhere between 10 – 25% of men are depressed after having a new baby.

They say that part of the problem is modern pressures we put on men in society. They now not only have to be the main earner in the household, but they also have to “be engaged and involved. They are expected to abstain from alcohol, attend every scan and ‘feel the pain’ of birth.”

Misery loves company, as they say, and one depressed parent is more likely to lead to the other becoming depressed.

Now this is not necessarily a bad thing, but it certainly does need to be addressed.

Just as mums can’t do everything by themselves (and we constantly hear about women whose husbands are not good enough), dads also can’t do everything expected of them without some struggle.

The key here is partnership and communication. New parents need to be aware that it’s not always fun and games. There may be a time when they hate their new baby, especially when it’s screaming its head off and they have no idea what to do about it.

But if they are aware of the pitfalls, have a good support network, and make sure to take themselves to the doctor if they feel they can’t handle things, then they can definitely make it work.