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A mass of research shows that when childcare is shared with a partner or with other adults:
- new mothers are less likely to suffer from postnatal depression
- relationships between the adults are more likely to be happy and stable as the children grow older
- children do better at school and are happier in adolescence.
Supporting through pregnancy
Being at the birth
Watching your partner, daughter, sister or friend give birth can be exhilarating but also nerve-wracking. You can prepare yourself by looking at videos about birth and talking to other parents.
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- Be familiar with the birth plan so that you know what she wants.
- Give comfort, support and encouragement.
- Don’t respond angrily if she shouts or cries.
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After the baby is born
- Share day-to-day tasks like bathing, dressing, soothing, bottle-feeding.
- Try to organise work and other commitments so they fit round the family and you can spend time with them every day when you're not tired.
- Children need more than one adult they can depend on and be close to at every stage of growing up, and the closer you get, the more rewarding the relationship with children becomes.
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