Dads suffer Postnatal Depression

News today that the Medical Research Council has found that one in five men become depressed after the birth of a baby should hardly come as a surprise. Having a new baby is a life-changing event and although all the attention often goes straight to mother and child, the poor father's life and sleep routine are just as much affected. But so is his relationship with the mother; this is an area too little talked about, it seems to me. When two become three obviously huge change results. We go on about how likely it is for a first child to be jealous of a second.....but why do we never mention how possible it is for father to be jealous of a baby? After all, suddenly he has to share his wife with the new baby and compete for attention. And so much focus is put on to the newborn in those early days, that Dads can often feel squeezed out. Nights can be disrupted, and couples often find little time for themselves. But it's really important for any father who feels that more is going on than just a change of mood; real depression can be serious and needs treating. So Dad's should be encouraged to be open about their feelings in this situation before
it's too late.