Becoming Dad.

Most families I meet get to hear me share all the incredible biological changes that happen in Mother & Baby around birth, but I just LOVE to share with them the amazing biological changes that happen in Dad! #NotTalkingAboutDadBod

Here is a little run down (but doesn’t cover it all!)

Testosterone, the hormone largely responsible for motivating men to seek out partners dips at the time of birth, which results in men focusing inward towards their family when they become a Dad.

This testosterone dip assists with reward and bonding hormones (oxytocin and dopamine) when he interacts with his child. Therefore, by caring for his child he produces not only a strong bond but a neurochemical reward inducing feelings of happiness, contentment and warmth.

On top of all that, the brain appears to undergo structural changes that ensure Father’s exhibit key skills for parenting.

Both new Mothers and new Fathers activate new regions of their brains linked with empathy and understanding for their child’s emotions and behaviours. But for Dad‘s, the parts that activate most are linked with higher, more conscious cognitive function. This is the area of the brain for thought, goal orientation, planning and problem-solving.

They believe the different areas of brain activation reflect a difference in role, and a different but equally strong attachment to their baby.

So I want to tell all the Dad’s out there that they have been designed perfectly for their new role!

I encourage all my families to read the NYTimes article published in April 2020 by Anna Machin https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/15/parenting/baby/fatherhood-mens-bodies.html

It explains so well the amazing changes experienced by Fathers entering parenthood.

Image from the article by Armando Veve.