{"id":288150,"date":"2025-06-11T14:24:33","date_gmt":"2025-06-11T14:24:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/uncategorized\/men-are-not-expected-to-be-interested-in-babies-how-society-lets-new-fathers-and-their-families-down-postnatal-depression\/"},"modified":"2025-06-11T14:24:33","modified_gmt":"2025-06-11T14:24:33","slug":"men-are-not-expected-to-be-interested-in-babies-how-society-lets-new-fathers-and-their-families-down-postnatal-depression","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=288150","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Men are not expected to be interested in babies\u2019: how society lets new fathers \u2013 and their families \u2013 down | Postnatal depression"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">Dean Rogut was holding it together.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">He had become a father for the first time, but it had not gone to plan. At 12 weeks pregnant, his wife was put on bed rest. At 24 weeks, their son, Max, was born.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">As the weeks went by, things were hard. There were times when they thought they might lose Max. Throughout that period, in and out of the NICU watching their tiny baby, Rogut took \u201cthe very male supporting role\u201d. He supported his wife. He was the point of contact if anyone needed to know what was going on. But it felt as though he was in a sensory deprivation tank.<strong> <\/strong>He became detached from everything and anything. \u201cI was very much in survival mode \u2013 but trying to keep everyone else sort of above water.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">Staff would check in and ask, \u201cHow\u2019s mum doing today?\u201d No one asked about how Rogut was doing unless his forthright wife told them to. His friends would get in touch, but there wasn\u2019t much they could do. About halfway through the 121 days Max spent in hospital, his wife was diagnosed with postnatal depression, which helped her access support.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"923c3df3-652b-45f2-a986-5b438e38876d\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-1your1i\"><gu-island name=\"RichLinkComponent\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"idle\" props=\"{&quot;richLinkIndex&quot;:4,&quot;element&quot;:{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement&quot;,&quot;prefix&quot;:&quot;Related: &quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;\u2018I didn\u2019t even know men could get it\u2019: the hidden impact of male postnatal depression&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;923c3df3-652b-45f2-a986-5b438e38876d&quot;,&quot;role&quot;:&quot;richLink&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/society\/2023\/may\/22\/i-didnt-even-know-men-could-get-it-the-hidden-impact-of-male-postnatal-depression&quot;},&quot;ajaxUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/api.nextgen.guardianapps.co.uk&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:10,&quot;display&quot;:2,&quot;theme&quot;:0}}\"\/><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\u201cBut yeah, there was nothing really for me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">Max was born in March. He came home around July. The new family got into a routine. Rogut was problem solving, helping his wife. He had friends around him. It would have looked to the outside world that he was doing OK. That he was being a good dad.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\u201cI didn\u2019t realise how bad I was until about November, December when I hit the wall.\u201d He became clinically depressed, suicidal. He checked into a hospital.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"dcr-z9ge1j\"\/>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\"><span style=\"color:var(--drop-cap);font-weight:500\" class=\"dcr-15rw6c2\">A<\/span> baby is a beautiful thing. But for decades, after years of advocacy, researchers and health systems have recognised that the arrival of a baby can also be a challenging, traumatic, disorienting thing for new mothers. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.aihw.gov.au\/reports\/mothers-babies\/perinatal-mental-health-screening-australia\/contents\/what-is-perinatal-mental-health\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Up to one in five mothers<\/a> experience perinatal anxiety or depression. As a result, women are screened for their mental health at metronomic points throughout the orchestrated health path from confirmation of pregnancy through to their infant\u2019s routine immunisations. Maternal mental health remains a serious problem, but one for which a system exists.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">There is no such system for fathers. And an increasing body of research shows about one in 10 fathers experience serious mental health issues in the period before and after their child is born. It is also showing that the impacts of this are not just devastating for the fathers, but for their partners and their children.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\u201cWe don\u2019t have a community where we wrap our arms around fathers in the same way that we do around mothers in the early stages,\u201d says Deakin University Associate Professor Jacqui Macdonald, convener of the Australian Fatherhood Research Consortium. \u201cInstead the language is around fathers being a support for the mother. There\u2019s not a discussion about who the support is for fathers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">It means that fathers, like Rogut \u2013 but not limited to those who have had traumatic experiences \u2013 can<strong> <\/strong>slip through the cracks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">When you think about the challenges facing a first-time father, says Associate Professor Richard Fletcher, who leads the Fathers and Families Research Program at the University of Newcastle, \u201cthe context for him having the baby is one that\u2019s like being in a desert and not even being aware of how thirsty you are, but there\u2019s no water anywhere\u201d.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\u201cThe dads are isolated from pretty well everything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">It is not a phenomenon limited to Australia. Dr Sharin Baldwin conducted a systematic review on perinatal mental health in the UK in 2018. \u201cWhat stands out most is how often men feel invisible or excluded in the perinatal period,\u201d she says. Meanwhile, they were dealing with challenges associated with changes in identity and their relationship, financial pressures and work-life balance.<strong> <\/strong>Not much has changed since then, she says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\u201cMany men suffer in silence during one of the most significant transitions in their lives.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\u201cFamilies don\u2019t work as individuals, they work as systems. So if one part of that system is really struggling, the rest of the system isn\u2019t going to be working as well,\u201d Macdonald says. \u201cIf we can care for the father, then the father does provide a better source of care. The father becomes a partner of the healthcare system in supporting the mother and child, but that\u2019s not possible if we haven\u2019t cared for the father as well.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr class=\"dcr-z9ge1j\"\/>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\"><span style=\"color:var(--drop-cap);font-weight:500\" class=\"dcr-15rw6c2\">T<\/span>he figure of 10% of new fathers experiencing mental health difficulties, such as anxiety and depression, is an estimation. One reason, says Macdonald, is \u201cwe don\u2019t really have proper screening anywhere for new fathers\u201d. The second is that male depression often looks quite different from perinatal depression in women.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\u201cWhat we do find is very high correlations between feelings of anger. It doesn\u2019t necessarily mean that they\u2019re aggressive, it just means that there\u2019s an internalised sense of anger,\u201d she says. It may be adaptive, \u201ca sense [in fathers] that there\u2019s an energy there to manage; to fight against this feeling of depression and sadness \u2013 but it needs support.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside data-spacefinder-role=\"supporting\" class=\"dcr-1eyan6r\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 14\" style=\"fill:var(--pullquote-icon)\" class=\"dcr-scql1j\"><path d=\"M5.255 0h4.75c-.572 4.53-1.077 8.972-1.297 13.941H0C.792 9.104 2.44 4.53 5.255 0Zm11.061 0H21c-.506 4.53-1.077 8.972-1.297 13.941h-8.686c.902-4.837 2.485-9.411 5.3-13.941Z\"\/><\/svg><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"dcr-zzndwp\"><p>There\u2019s been this lifetime of socialisation towards motherhood for women, and less so of that for men<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<footer><cite>Associate Professor Jacqui Macdonald<\/cite><\/footer>\n<\/aside>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">A <a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/33975226\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">recent systematic review of paternal coping<\/a> identified in fathers a cohort of what Macdonald calls \u201cdual copers\u201d \u2013 men who look as if they are doing really well but have underlying unaddressed unease. \u201cThese dual copers in men often are also engaging in avoidant behaviours. Things that are distracting, things that will reduce the emotional intensity of the feelings that they\u2019re having, and that may include things like alcohol use.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">The review echoes findings from Baldwin in the UK: \u201cFor fathers, distress may show up as anger, irritability, or conflict, and through avoidant behaviours like working excessively, smoking, gambling or increased focus on activities like sports or sex.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">When Macdonald and a team tracked a Covid cohort of dual copers, the study found higher rates of depression over time than among other fathers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\u201cBut everyone looks at them and thinks \u2018Oh, you seem to be doing alright \u2026 We won\u2019t dig any deeper,\u2019\u201d she says. \u201cAnd my fear is that\u2019s where we start to see risk for suicide.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure id=\"6fd25042-da0d-4297-a494-586db5162ecb\" data-spacefinder-role=\"showcase\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-5h0uf4\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-16a696t\"><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><svg width=\"18\" height=\"13\" viewbox=\"0 0 18 13\"><path d=\"M18 3.5v8l-1.5 1.5h-15l-1.5-1.5v-8l1.5-1.5h3.5l2-2h4l2 2h3.5l1.5 1.5zm-9 7.5c1.9 0 3.5-1.6 3.5-3.5s-1.6-3.5-3.5-3.5-3.5 1.6-3.5 3.5 1.6 3.5 3.5 3.5z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Men frequently take longer to bond with their babies than women.<\/span> Illustration: Victoria Hart<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"egalitarian-dreams\" class=\"dcr-12ibh7f\">Egalitarian dreams<\/h2>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">The way society expects fathers to engage in domestic life has undergone a fundamental shift within the last 30 years.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\u201cCouples before birth say what they want is a more egalitarian arrangement,\u201d says Fletcher. \u201cThe community\u2019s changed quite a bit but the system around dads hasn\u2019t changed. That makes it hard for them to be clear about \u2018Well, what\u2019s my role, exactly?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">The message to fathers about the role they are expected to play, from antenatal care to the way Australia structures parental leave, Fletcher says is: \u201cWell, we think it\u2019s pretty small.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.NewsletterSignupBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\"><a data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" href=\"#EmailSignup-skip-link-32\" class=\"dcr-jzxpee\">skip past newsletter promotion<\/a><\/p>\n<aside aria-label=\"newsletter promotion\" class=\"dcr-av5vqf\">\n<div class=\"dcr-10et71f\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1sbse14\">Sign up to <span>Five Great Reads<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"dcr-1xjndtj\">Each week our editors select five of the most interesting, entertaining and thoughtful reads published by Guardian Australia and our international colleagues. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Saturday morning<\/p>\n<p><gu-island name=\"SecureSignup\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"visible\" props=\"{&quot;newsletterId&quot;:&quot;five-great-reads&quot;,&quot;successDescription&quot;:&quot;Each week our editors select five of the most interesting, entertaining and thoughtful reads published by Guardian Australia and our international colleagues. Sign up to receive it in your inbox every Saturday morning&quot;}\"\/><span class=\"dcr-1eusqlu\"><strong>Privacy Notice: <\/strong>Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our<!-- --> <a data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/help\/privacy-policy\" rel=\"noreferrer\" class=\"dcr-1rjy2q9\">Privacy Policy<\/a>. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google<!-- --> <a data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" href=\"https:\/\/policies.google.com\/privacy\" rel=\"noreferrer\" class=\"dcr-1rjy2q9\">Privacy Policy<\/a> and<!-- --> <a data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" href=\"https:\/\/policies.google.com\/terms\" rel=\"noreferrer\" class=\"dcr-1rjy2q9\">Terms of Service<\/a> <!-- -->apply.<\/span><\/aside>\n<p id=\"EmailSignup-skip-link-32\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-label=\"after newsletter promotion\" role=\"note\" class=\"dcr-jzxpee\">after newsletter promotion<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<figure id=\"b2f05d00-265d-42b9-ba6a-8298590fbb2e\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-1your1i\"><gu-island name=\"RichLinkComponent\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"idle\" props=\"{&quot;richLinkIndex&quot;:33,&quot;element&quot;:{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement&quot;,&quot;prefix&quot;:&quot;Related: &quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Katrina was separated from her newborn twins for 33 days. NSW psychiatrists warn specialised support for mothers is in crisis&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;b2f05d00-265d-42b9-ba6a-8298590fbb2e&quot;,&quot;role&quot;:&quot;richLink&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/australia-news\/2025\/feb\/24\/katrina-was-separated-from-her-newborn-twins-for-33-days-nsw-psychiatrists-warn-specialised-support-for-mothers-is-in-crisis&quot;},&quot;ajaxUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/api.nextgen.guardianapps.co.uk&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:10,&quot;display&quot;:2,&quot;theme&quot;:0}}\"\/><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">While couples entering into pregnancies often expect egalitarian parenting, the fundamental cultural preparation for being a parent is often different for men and women. \u201cThere\u2019s been this lifetime of socialisation towards motherhood for women, and less so of that for men,\u201d says Macdonald.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\u201cThe social environment is one where men are not expected to be caring for babies or interested in babies,\u201d says Fletcher. This can make the transition to parenthood difficult for men. It is well established that men frequently take longer to bond with their babies than women. But the work of addressing that, says Fletcher, cannot be left up to individual men, operating in a vacuum.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\u201cPeople think we\u2019ve really got to get those dads to change their attitudes and be more egalitarian. That\u2019s the task. Whereas I would say we\u2019ve got to change the system surrounding conception, pregnancy and birth so that it\u2019s assumed he\u2019s part of it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">Caring and earning dynamics established early in family life can be difficult to untangle, and can<strong> <\/strong>cause long-term conflict when the reality of the division of caring does not cohere with the vision parents had when entering parenthood. Both parties can feel disappointed, says Fletcher \u2013 though women often more so, left literally holding the baby if their partner retreats into work, or hobbies, or alcohol as a way of coping with their own distress.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">The chasm between parents\u2019 expectation and experience, between fathers\u2019 needs and support, leaves families fumbling. They\u2019re asking, says Macdonald: <em>\u201c<\/em><em>Why does the system not respond to what we do as a family and what we need?\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\u201cMy hope is that we\u2019re seeing a potential tipping point \u2026 where we see the family as a system; where we see both parents as providers, not just fathers, which means both parents are also protectors, both parents are carers, emotional caregivers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">But that needs intervention.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"theyre-not-thinking-oh-what-about-me\" class=\"dcr-12ibh7f\">\u2018They\u2019re not thinking, \u201cOh, what about me?\u201d\u2019<\/h2>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\u201cThe simple thing\u201d that governments could do, says Fletcher, is screen new fathers for anxiety and depression. \u201cI think that\u2019s a basic fundamental thing.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/society\/2018\/dec\/02\/nhs-to-introduce-mental-health-checks-for-new-fathers\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">NHS in the UK introduced screening for fathers<\/a> by health visitors when their partners had already been identified as having perinatal mental health problems. Baldwin says it is a positive step, but is only part of the solution.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\u201cWhat we really need is a broader cultural and systemic shift that normalises support for fathers.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">Often when one asks new fathers how they are doing, they are reluctant to identify that they are struggling. Their response, says Fletcher, is: \u201c\u2018No, look after her.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">It is a mistake to attribute this to the father\u2019s sense of the need to preserve a stoic masculinity, he argues. \u201cThe evidence says that they\u2019re not so much thinking about that they want to be tough and super masculine, but they care for their partner.\u201d They can see that their partner\u2019s needs are most acute. \u201cThey\u2019re not thinking, \u2018Oh, what about me?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">This means the need for services which are specifically targeted towards fathers. A recent trial of an app which asked fathers to track their moods and offered cognitive behavioural therapy interventions, developed by Dr Sam Teague at James Cook University, found an improvement in fathers with anxiety, stress and even those with severe depression. Fathers also reported improved relationships with their partners.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">Likewise Fletcher, with a team, developed a father-specific mobile-based information support service called SMS4dads which has more than 18,000 fathers signed up. A <a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC6796445\/#:~:text=Four%20positive%20outcomes%20of%20SMS4dads,relationship%20with%20partners%20%5B41%5D.\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">feasibility study for the service <\/a>in 2019 found that fathers using the app improved their relationship with their baby and partner, and reduced their sense of isolation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">Fletcher and Macdonald say the field of advocates and researchers invested in fatherhood is growing, but efforts to support fathers and their families are still often quite piecemeal.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">Macdonald advocates using the universal GP system, and encouraging men in the early stages of fatherhood to attend routine mental and physical health checks \u2013 \u201cjust full-on dad checks across that period of time\u201d.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"e65c5dae-9b4e-4b15-9d09-930f5ed2c87e\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-1your1i\"><gu-island name=\"RichLinkComponent\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"idle\" props=\"{&quot;richLinkIndex&quot;:51,&quot;element&quot;:{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement&quot;,&quot;prefix&quot;:&quot;Related: &quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;Why more men are joining the ranks of therapists: \u2018We\u2019re rushing to a place we\u2019re needed\u2019&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;e65c5dae-9b4e-4b15-9d09-930f5ed2c87e&quot;,&quot;role&quot;:&quot;richLink&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/wellness\/2023\/dec\/15\/finding-male-therapists-mens-mental-health&quot;},&quot;ajaxUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/api.nextgen.guardianapps.co.uk&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:10,&quot;display&quot;:2,&quot;theme&quot;:0}}\"\/><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\u201cA number of practitioners have told us they don\u2019t feel as confident working with fathers, but once there\u2019s training to do this, they feel very confident,\u201d she says. One program working to skill up health practitioners, including GPs, <a href=\"https:\/\/meninmind.movember.com\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">Men in Mind<\/a>, has recently been given funding to expand.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">Both Macdonald and Fletcher also say restructuring the parental leave system to allow fathers to be primary caregiver for a period is fundamental to the health of fathers and the families they are part of.<\/p>\n<hr class=\"dcr-z9ge1j\"\/>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\"><span style=\"color:var(--drop-cap);font-weight:500\" class=\"dcr-15rw6c2\">D<\/span>ean Rogut\u2019s son is now a teenager. With the passage of time, Rogut has become able to share his experience. For a few years, around the time of his son\u2019s birthday, tensions would be high in his home, the relationship would struggle. Now, he is a community champion for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.panda.org.au\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">perinatal mental health service Panda<\/a>, and even as he trawls through the darkest of his memories, he comes across as confident, open. Things have changed for fathers in the last decade, he says. \u201cWe know this happens and there\u2019s more of a spotlight on it,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">What might have been different if he had been viewed as someone who needed help, too?<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-16w5gq9\">\u201cI don\u2019t think I would have ended up in hospital, to be honest,\u201d he says. He may have received support before he reached his crisis point. \u201cIt\u2019s all those kinds of things that we look back on and think, \u2018If only\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dean Rogut was holding it together. He had become a father for the first time, but it had not gone to plan. At 12 weeks pregnant, his wife was put on bed rest. At 24 weeks, their son, Max, was born. As the weeks went by, things were hard. There were times when they thought [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":288151,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[100620,118963,114224,12148,96625,96771,118964,112616,42,114150,96877,118962,118961,12394,12016],"tags":[2552,22105,17276,13575,1592,21492,11249,228,118965,3924],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-288150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-anxiety","category-australian-lifestyle","category-childbirth","category-depression","category-family","category-health","category-health-wellbeing","category-life-and-style","category-men","category-mens-health","category-mental-health","category-parents-and-parenting","category-postnatal-depression","category-pregnancy","category-womens-health","tag-babies","tag-depression","tag-expected","tag-families","tag-fathers","tag-interested","tag-lets","tag-men","tag-postnatal","tag-society"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>\u2018Men are not expected to be interested in babies\u2019: how society lets new fathers \u2013 and their families \u2013 down | Postnatal depression - Som2ny Network<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=288150\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"\u2018Men are not expected to be interested in babies\u2019: how society lets new fathers \u2013 and their families \u2013 down | Postnatal depression - Som2ny Network\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Dean Rogut was holding it together. He had become a father for the first time, but it had not gone to plan. At 12 weeks pregnant, his wife was put on bed rest. At 24 weeks, their son, Max, was born. As the weeks went by, things were hard. 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