Father’s Day

It’s Father’s Day, and all around the world, we celebrate fathers contribution to the lives of their children. We like to think about all the life-changing things our dads have done for us, like teaching us to ride a bike, bait a hook or drive a car. But do we ever think about dad’s role during mom’s pregnancy?  I know moms are doing all the heavy lifting here, but often times dads don’t get enough credit for the support they provide. We are now realizing many dads suffer silently with postpartum depression? It is true, men can suffer right along with moms.

“A report in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that 10 percent of men worldwide showed signs of depression often referred to as paternal postpartum depression, from the first trimester of their wife’s pregnancy through six months after their child was born. The number spiked to a whopping 26 percent during the three to the six-month period after the baby’s arrival.”

“Many of the symptoms of postpartum depression in men are similar to women’s, such as fatigue, irritability, and loss of interest in sex. But there are some symptoms specific to men, such as frustration, anger, impulsiveness, and increased use of alcohol and drugs”, says Dr. Sarah Allen, psychologist, and director of the Postpartum Depression Alliance of Illinois. She adds that for many men, the overwhelming feelings of new responsibilities and financial concerns, as well as the loss of a sense of self can be an emotional trigger.

Dr. Allen explains that “lack of sleep is another risk factor that is especially common when you have an infant. Depression and sleep problems often go hand in hand, and there is a lot of research that suggests that prolonged sleep deprivation is associated with changes in brain chemistry that can increase the risk of depression.”

Now that we are finding more about our dads secret struggles, it is just one more reason to celebrate this amazing man in our lives. This Father’s Day, share the following letter from an unknown source to let your dad know how special he is in your life.

My Father:

When I was: Four years old: My daddy can do anything.

When I was: Five years old: My daddy knows a whole lot.

When I was: Six years old: My dad is smarter than your dad.

When I was: Eight years old: My dad doesn’t know exactly everything.

When I was: 10 years old: In the olden days, when my dad grew up, things were sure different.

When I was: 12 years old: Oh, well, naturally, Dad doesn’t know anything about that. He is too old to remember his childhood.

When I was: 14 years old: Don’t pay any attention to my dad. He is so old-fashioned.

When I was: 21 years old: Him? My Lord, he’s hopelessly out of date.

When I was: 25 years old: Dad knows about it, but then he should, because he has been around so long.

When I was: 30 years old: Maybe we should ask Dad what he thinks. After all, he’s had a lot of experience.

When I was: 35 years old: I’m not doing a single thing until I talk to Dad.

When I was: 40 years old: I wonder how Dad would have handled it. He was so wise.

When I was: 50 years old: I’d give anything if Dad were here now so I could talk this over with him. Too bad I didn’t appreciate how smart he was. I could have learned a lot from him. ~Unknown

So thank you, dad, for all you did for me and thank you for everything I never realized or appreciated and never had a chance to thank you for.

Visit our website www.raisingconfidentparents.com

For help with paternal postpartum depression, see the following resources:

Postpartum Dads: www.PostpartumDads.org

Postpartum Support International Resources for Fathers:

www.Postpartum.net/get-help/resources-for-fathers

Source: Sad Dads: Science Says Men Suffer from Postpartum Depression, Too

www.parents.com/parenting/dads/sad-dads