"The greatest gift you give to your children is yourself": reflections on fatherhood

This study aimed to analyze fathers' participation during the postpartum period. It is descriptive research with a qualitative approach, utilizing the snowball technique for participant recruitment and theoretical saturation for interview completion, which were analyzed through thematic-categorical content analysis. Nineteen fathers aged between 29 and 41 participated in the study. Most of them consider themselves actively involved fathers in their children's lives, engaging in childcare and responsibilities beyond financial provision. However, they express a desire to be more involved. Encouraging fathers' involvement throughout the pregnancy and postpartum cycle should be a goal for healthcare teams to contribute to reducing gender inequalities, alleviating maternal burden, and fostering active fatherhood with their duties and rights.