Babies require attention and care from the moment they are born, and when factors such as feeding and night wakings come together, sleep deprivation can become inevitable. During this stage, regular and continuous emotional and physical fulfillment from the mother and father is of great importance for the baby’s future development.
The father has as much responsibility for baby care as the mother. However, after the baby is born, fathers may be kept away by some circles with warnings such as “you can’t do it”, which may cause them to remain in the background. One of the reasons for this is the negative belief that baby care is only the mother’s job or that fathers feel inadequate in this regard. Mothers and fathers can work together in the care of their babies by cooperating and sharing tasks.
The father should take an active role in the care process
This bonding, developed during infancy, contributes to the child’s sense of protection and trust. Generally, mothers tend to take care of their babies. However, it can be misleading to think that mothers who stop or postpone work to care for the child should take over all household chores. The father should willingly take an active role in this process. The father can not only be a helper responsible for physical organization, such as shopping, but can also be actively involved in burping, changing diapers, bottle feeding, etc., while the mother prepares dinner.
Parents should talk openly about their expectations and needs!
Organize your life together starting with your newborn baby. In a household full of responsibilities such as housework and baby care, there is a lot to do. With the right planning and communication, mom and dad can cope with these new responsibilities.
Which job suits you better? Who can do tasks like changing diapers better, for example? Who feels more comfortable holding your baby and putting him/her to sleep? Which tasks do you enjoy doing and which tasks do you like less? Mom and Dad can create a schedule to better organize household chores. For example, on certain days of the week, they can take turns with breakfast preparation, night wakings, diaper changing, feeding, etc. With a flexible and rotating schedule, they can handle new responsibilities more easily.
Break Old Stereotypes!
Mothers can often be more inclined to take full responsibility due to emotional and societal norms. However, baby care and household chores are not the sole responsibility of the mother. For example, a father who works during the week can contribute to taking care of the baby while mom prepares dinner when he gets home in the evening.
Having the father take an active role in caring for the baby can help the mother to relax. This gives mothers a chance to catch their breath. It also contributes to building a bond between father and baby and strengthening the relationship between mother and father. Breaking the traditional ideas about the ‘Importance of the Father in Baby Care’ and managing this process in cooperation with the parents both provides balance within the family and contributes to the healthy development of babies.
