Transition to fatherhood in the prenatal period: a qualitative study

Abstract

Becoming a father requires a process of personal development, inner reorientation, and adaptation to a new role. The literature on this process has been sparse, devaluing how challenging and problematic the transition to becoming a father can be. This qualitative, exploratory, descriptive, cross-sectional and retrospective study sought to understand the experiences of men in the transition to fatherhood during the prenatal period. It included a sample of 10 men experiencing, for the first time, a partner’s pregnancy. The data collection technique used was semi-structured interviews. The content analysis technique with semantic categorization and an inductive approach was used to analyze the data. As a result, 3 topics emerged: ‘experiencing the transition,’ ‘development of the father identity’ and ‘(de)constructing bridges for the transition’. This study deepens the understanding of this developmental transition and challenges the restructuring of prenatal care towards the inclusion of the father figure.