Published in

Elsevier, Midwifery, 7(29), p. 723-729

DOI: 10.1016/j.midw.2013.02.007

Links

Tools

Export citation

Search in Google Scholar

Men's involvement in antenatal care and labour: Rethinking a medical model

Journal article published in 2013 by Heather Draper, Jonathan Ives ORCID
This paper is available in a repository.
This paper is available in a repository.

Full text: Download

Green circle
Preprint: archiving allowed
Orange circle
Postprint: archiving restricted
Red circle
Published version: archiving forbidden
Data provided by SHERPA/RoMEO

Abstract

In the UK, putative fathers are encouraged to be involved in antenatal and maternal health care, in the belief that involving men as early as possible lays the foundation for better, more involved fatherhood. Integrating men into maternity care can, however, have hitherto unexplored ethical complexities. We begin by providing three ethical justifications for involving men in antenatal and maternity health care, and then discuss how each necessarily constrains the nature of this involvement. The medical setting itself creates some of the difficulties. This observation leads us into a broader exploration of the medicalisation of men's transition to fatherhood.