Selected aspects of parenthood in the perception of men – Part II

Aim. To investigate the attitudes of men who plan to become fathers or not, and who either participate in antenatal classes regarding the birth or not. Material and methods. The study included three groups of 200 men each: I - those who do not plan to become fathers, II - who will be fathers and have not attended antenatal classes, III - who will be fathers and have attended antenatal classes. A self-authored questionnaire was used. Results. Only 34.5% of respondents participated in the previous birth. The feelings before childbirth were dominated by fear of seeing blood, helplessness in the face of the woman’s suffering and fear. The best place to give birth is a hospital, and the best way to participate in the act of giving birth is to hold the hand of the woman giving birth (36.1%). Conclusions. The willingness to participate in childbirth was influenced by participation in childbirth classes, and not by the duration of marriage, having children, age, place of residence, or education. Demographic variables did not influence men’s perception of the benefits of shared birth. Only education was a factor having influence on the belief that giving birth together reduces fear, loneliness and brings spouses closer.