Lived experiences of Asian fathers during the early postpartum period: Insights from qualitative inquiry.

OBJECTIVE: this study aims to understand fathers' expectations, needs, and experiences in infant care during the early postpartum period in Singapore.

DESIGN: a descriptive qualitative study design was adopted.

SETTING: the study was conducted in a tertiary public hospital in Singapore.

PARTICIPANTS: fifty participants (first-time as well as experienced fathers) were recruited from postnatal wards of a public hospital.

FINDINGS: thematic analysis was used to analyze the interviews data. Four main themes emerged from the analysis: (1) support system of fathers, (2) paternal involvement in childcare, (3) challenges of fatherhood, and (4) recommendations by fathers.

KEY CONCLUSION: this study found that the postpartum period is a stressful period for both first-time and experienced fathers. Fathers desired to be involved but were hindered in many ways, such as maternal gatekeeping, work commitments, and a lack of infant care skills. Experienced fathers faced difficulty in assimilating older children with the newborn.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: fathers' needs to be involved in the infant and maternal care activities in the postpartum period. Necessary help from healthcare professionals and policymakers are needed for fathers to assimilate to fatherhood.