Giving birth and parenting are two of life's most significant events. On the path of pregnancy and parenting, it is indispensable that a couple care for and support each other. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), if partners are able to support each other during pregnancy, in addition to lessening discomfort, the likelihood of premature birth is lowered due to the pregnant women being in a more positive physical and mental state.

For expectant fathers to be more involved in their partner’s pregnancy to embrace the joy and challenges of parenthood, the Health Promotion Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare (HPA) has released the first ever “Dad's Pregnancy and Parenting Health Handbook.” This handbook intends to teach couples on how to support each other on the journey from pregnancy to the child’s birth, enable them to jointly overcome the physical and mental changes during pregnancy, and equip them with the basic knowledge about parenting.

 

A handbook with five key highlights to assist expectant fathers in pregnancy care and parenting

      To convey pregnancy care knowledge and parenting techniques to expectant fathers, the HPA specifically prepared materials from the dad’s perspective, responding to their situations and needs. Not only inputs from experts of all fields are also solicited, but international practices and feedback from multiple seminars are also incorporated. After nearly a year of work, the “Dad's Pregnancy and Parenting Health Handbook” is finally completed. This handbook is a comprehensive guide encompassing a collection of practical instructions specifically for expectant fathers, with the following five main highlights:

• Father-specific materials: To meet the needs of expectant fathers, the handbook incorporated the professional knowledge and clinical experiences of field experts and scholars to address the difficulties shared among father focal groups in caring for their partner during pregnancy, delivery, and childcare. Relevant health education materials are thereby organized and compiled in this handbook.
• Graphic-rich content for readability: The handbook is concisely written with graphical illustrations, presenting vital information in tables or graphs that are easy to read and understand. Fathers can apply those tips to real-life situations in no time.
• Handy checklists for self-assessment: Through the “household chores checklist”, the “baby safe sleep environment checklist”, the “baby care competence checklist”, and other tools provided in the handbook, fathers can check if they have missed anything and be reminded of their tasks in case they lose track, equipping them to become super dads.
• All about pregnancy care and parenting: The handbook contains nine chapters, covering every stage from pregnancy, giving birth, to those after the baby’s arrival. Everything a father needs to know or prepare for is included, so the father always knows what to look for throughout his child's growth.
• Not missing out on parenting resources: The links to existing public parenting resources are categorized and provided in QR code under each chapter, saving dads’ time searching elsewhere for those resources.

 

“Dad’s Pregnancy and Parenting Health Handbook” completed with the concerted efforts of relevant professionals.

      In 2022, the HPA published the new ''Dad's Pregnancy and Parenting Health Handbook”. Information on pregnancy care and parenting is provided by harnessing the expertise across medical, social, and psychological fields, allowing novice fathers to better understand the responsibility and function of fatherhood and helping them become great dads. In addition, send a text message to the HPA Facebook Fan Page (https://www.facebook.com/hpagov) or leave a post for suggestions regarding the "Dad's Pregnancy and Parenting Health Handbook" in order to assist the HPA in refining the handbook's content. To learn more about the "Dad's Pregnancy and Parenting Health Handbook", please visit the Health 99+ website (https://health99.hpa.gov.tw/material/7426) of the HPA to download.

 

Dad’s Pregnancy and Parenting Health Handbook

 

Relevant links:

【Health 99+ website - Mommy’s Good Pregnancy Section】

https://health99.hpa.gov.tw/theme/5

【Maternity Care Website】

https://mammy.hpa.gov.tw/

【Maternity Care Fan Page】

https://www.facebook.com/mammy.hpa/