City Research Online

Abstract

This was a qualitative study employing Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to capture the lived experiences and sense-making of seven male participants (aged 29–41), whose partner was in their second or third trimester of pregnancy. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews and four superordinate themes emerged during the analysis: (1) Pushed and Pulled in Different Directions, (2) A Rollercoaster of Emotions, (3) A Long and Lonely Road and (4) Anticipating Fatherhood. The prenatal period seemed to constitute a turbulent time in the participants' lives and involved them experiencing intense, conflicting emotions and psychological states amidst a shifting sense of self, with few support resources available to them. Implications for counselling psychologists are discussed, with suggestions for future research made.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	©2021 The Author(s). Published by IMR Press. This is an open access article under the CC BY 4.0 license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Publisher Keywords:	Transition to fatherhood; Expectant fathers; Father-to-be; Pregnancy; Prenatal period
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology H Social Sciences > HQ The family. Marriage. Woman
Departments:	School of Health & Psychological Sciences > Psychology

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