Margaret Ofe Fleck

Couples’ Experiences with Fatigue during the Transition to Parenthood

The purpose of this longitudinal study was to examine mothers’ and fathers’ reports of fatigue prior to and after the birth of their first child. Data from 44 couples were collected from the 9th month of the mothers’ pregnancy to 4 months postpartum. Both parents’ reports of fatigue significantly increased from before to 1 month after the birth of the child, then remained stable. Mothers’and fathers’level of fatigue did not differ after the birth of the child, although fathers experienced a greater change in their reports of fatigue than mothers. Couples always reported less morning fatigue than nighttime fatigue but still reported mild to moderate levels of morning fatigue. At different times, the mother’s fatigue was related to her marital satisfaction, depression, income, and maternity leave; the father’s fatigue was most often related to his age, income, and depression. Implications for family functioning, nursing assessment, and family interventions are discussed.

You can’t put a dollar amount on presence: young, non-resident, low-income, african american fathers

Aims and Objectives: The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of young, non-resident, low-income, African-American fathers. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a convenience sample of 6 men enrolled in the Omaha Healthy Start, Fathers for a Lifetime Program. Results: The following themes were identified: (a) A Work in Progress: Fatherhood Investment; (b) A Little Island by Myself: Barriers to Fathering; (c) I’m Going to be There From Day One to Infinity: Presence; and (d) The Tomorrow Dad: Not Like my Dad. Barriers to fathering created resource-poor environments posing challenges to involvement. Conclusions: Dispelling the myth of the “hit-and-run” father or the “package deal” remains a concern for fathers and their children. Nurses can develop early assessment strategies and interventions to help African American fathers with their parenting involvement. Fathers can be encouraged to attend community-based fathering programs to increase investment opportunities.