Father's Day丨The "invisible" changes in your body before and after becoming a father

Many men don’t realize they have become fathers and entered a new stage of life until they hear their baby cry in the delivery room.

Are there any special physiological changes in the process of becoming a father? Let's talk about this issue on Father's Day.

Image source: Xinhuanet

hormone

In order to nurture a new life, women will experience significant physiological changes during pregnancy and childbirth. These changes are closely related to hormones. For example, during pregnancy, in order to provide sufficient nutrients to the fetus, women's estrogen levels will rise, which will in turn change water metabolism and cause edema in the limbs; during childbirth and lactation, oxytocin will increase significantly.

Oxytocin, also known as oxytocin, can promote uterine contractions and start the delivery process on a physiological level, and it also participates in the milk letdown reflex, responds to the baby's sucking, and regulates milk secretion. On a spiritual level, it is a "happy hormone" that can reduce stress, increase positive emotions, and promote trust in others.

Hormones associated with positive emotions

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Interestingly, men may also experience hormonal changes in the process of welcoming a new life. In 2010, researchers at Israel's Bar-Ilan University examined parents a few weeks and six months after giving birth, and the results showed that they all had increased oxytocin levels; the more oxytocin they had, the more intimate they were with their babies.

What’s more interesting is that women’s hormone changes are related to their physiological stages, while men’s hormone levels are affected by their wives. The closer the relationship between the couple, the higher the husband’s oxytocin level. From this perspective, couples with deep feelings are more likely to be competent in parenting.

nerve

Another change occurs in the nervous system. People have long known that mothers are particularly sensitive to the crying of their babies. This means that some changes may have occurred in their cerebral cortex. In 2003, foreign scholars used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to examine the brains of volunteers, and the results were surprising: when babies cry, the brains of both fathers and mothers will be significantly activated, and in some cases, the fathers are even more obvious than the mothers; while those who do not have children will not have similar phenomena.

Subsequently, scholars proposed the "nurturing brain" hypothesis: there are some specific neural circuits in the human brain that are very sensitive to the feelings of infants. During the period of childcare, these neural circuits will be strengthened to adapt to the needs of childcare.

Research in recent years has shown that there are many brain areas related to parenting, covering all aspects of parenting behavior. For example, the brain areas related to sensation make parents more sensitive to their babies’ responses; the brain areas related to empathy make it easier for parents to understand their babies’ demands; and the brain areas related to rewards allow parents to get pleasure from parenting.

Parenting brain, source: The adaptive human parental brain: implications for children's social development

Where does this change come from? The reasons are very complicated. Generally speaking, biological factors, such as oxytocin, can cause changes in the brain structure of parents; and the experience accumulated from interacting with babies ultimately determines changes in brain function. In 2021, a study by Zhejiang University showed that fathers' lack of involvement in parenting is not necessarily due to a lack of responsibility, but may be due to insufficient self-efficacy, not knowing what to do, and not sure if they can do it. In fact, from the perspective of the changing mechanism of the "parenting brain", there is no need to worry about this.

psychology

Dramatic changes in hormones and nerves, as well as the arrival of a new life, will ultimately lead to psychological changes.

In 2022, a survey conducted by the Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University showed that the vast majority of newborn fathers experience tension and worry. In addition, fathers usually lack the knowledge to take care of mothers and babies, and may feel fatigued; if they cannot get effective relief, they may suffer from depression.

An analysis in the Journal of the American Medical Association showed that 10.4% of men will suffer from depression from the time their wife becomes pregnant to their child's first birthday, far exceeding the general level for men.

Generally speaking, there are relatively few studies on this special type of depression. Many men are bound by traditional concepts and are unwilling to expose their vulnerable side. They may not express obvious sadness, but may show it through other behaviors, such as avoiding parenting. This will undoubtedly affect the relationship between husband and wife and even the growth of children.

Here, I would also like to remind all male compatriots: the premise of taking good care of your wife and children is to take good care of yourself. If you encounter symptoms suspected of depression, it is best to seek help from professionals immediately.

Conclusion

In 2021, my country wrote "joint participation and giving full play to the role of both parents" into the "Law on Promoting Family Education". At the same time, employers are encouraged to provide "male parental leave". In terms of top-level design, fathers are encouraged to participate in childcare.

In recent years, a large number of studies have shown that fathers' participation in parenting has unique value. For example, fathers' participation in parenting can reduce the probability of children being overweight or obese, and can reduce the probability of children suffering from depression in the future; secondly, parents' cooperation can better respond to the needs of infants. This helps infants develop secure attachment and have healthier interpersonal relationships in the future.

Of course, the biggest beneficiary is oneself. Studies have shown that when men participate in childcare, they can get more happiness from their marriage.

References

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[3] Zhang Huoyin and Zhang Mingming. “Nurturing brain” network and its influencing factors[J/OL]. Advances in Psychological Science, 2019, 27(6): 1072. DOI:10.3724/SP.J.1042.2019.01072.

[4] RAEBURN P. Do Fathers Matter?: What Science Is Telling Us About the Parent We've Overlooked[M]. First Edition. New York: Scientific American / Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2014.

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[7] Zhou Xingxing, Chen Lin, Shang Xingchen, et al. Phenomenological study on the care experience and role adaptation of newborn fathers[J]. Shanghai Nursing, 2024, 24(2): 7-11.

[8] Sun Jie, Yun Feng, Cheng Tianhong, et al. Study on the current status and influencing factors of fathers' participation in childcare of infants under 3 months old[J]. Nursing and Rehabilitation, 2021, 20(3): 21-26.

[9] PAULSON JF, BAZEMORE S D. Prenatal and Postpartum Depression in Fathers and Its Association With Maternal Depression: A Meta-analysis[J/OL]. JAMA, 2010, 303(19): 1961-1969. DOI:10.1001/jama.2010.605.

[10**]** John Gottman, Julie Schwartz**•** Gottman, Douglas Aberha, et al. Communication of Love[M/OL]. Translated by Leng Ai. Zhejiang People's Publishing House, 2018[2024-06-09]. https://book.douban.com/subject/30248303/.

[11] Sun Xin, Yang Rundong. A review of foreign research on fathers’ participation in early childhood family education in the past 30 years[J]. Journal of Chengdu Normal University, 2023, 39(8): 115-124.

[12] OPONDO C, REDSHAW M, QUIGLEY M A. Association between father involvement and attitudes in early child-rearing and depressive symptoms in the pre-adolescent period in a UK birth cohort[J/OL]. Journal of Affective Disorders, 2017, 221: 115-122. DOI:10.1016/j.jad.2017.06.010.

[13] Roland Miller. Intimate Relationships (8th Edition) [M/OL]. Translated by Wang Weiping. Posts and Telecommunications Press, 2024 [2024-06-09]. https://book.douban.com/subject/36787449/.

Author: Zhao Yanchang, a popular science author

Reviewer: Tang Qin, Deputy Secretary-General and Senior Researcher of the Expert Committee of the Chinese Medical Association

Produced by: Science Popularization China

Produced by: China Science and Technology Press Co., Ltd., China Science and Technology Publishing House (Beijing) Digital Media Co., Ltd.