The experiences of fathers who found childbirth traumatic

This thesis takes as its focus the experiences of men who attend childbirth; presenting a meta-synthesis of literature on the experiences of fathers in routine delivery before moving on to an empirical paper researching the experiences of fathers who have experienced childbirth as traumatic. Chapter One presents a meta-synthesis of empirical research into fathers’ experiences of being present at the birth of their child. The trend for men’s presence at childbirth and the early literature are discussed. A systematic literature search and meta-ethnographic approach to synthesis are described. The paper draws together common themes and metaphors from eleven qualitative studies into a synthesis regarding what fathers view as significant aspects of their experience at childbirth. The findings are discussed with regard to masculine ideologies, constructs of roles, self-efficacy and the role of maternity services in caring for fathers. Consideration is given to births which men may find difficult, which leads to Chapter Two. Chapter Two is an empirical paper exploring the experiences of men who found the childbirth traumatic. A qualitative methodology was employed using semi-structured interviews and template analysis, drawing out aspects of men’s experiences, coping strategies and the subsequent impact of trauma on their lives. The findings are discussed in terms of psychological constructs, particularly theories of stress and coping. The paper contributes to the existing literature through highlighting new findings as to how fathers experience and try to cope with a traumatic birth. Consideration is given to the clinical implications of the research and suggestions for further research are offered. Both papers were prepared for publication: the literature review for the International Journal of Nursing Studies and the empirical paper for the Journal of Clinical Psychology in Medical Settings