(January 10, 2022) 22 Compassionate Birth Network participants and Kreyol and Spanish interpreters participated in a one-hour conversation co-hosted by partner CASD (Cameroon Agenda for Sustainable Development) and Global Force for Healing. The presentation was based on CASD's recently updated “Healthy Birthing Teaching Guide for Expectant Fathers”.
Numfor Alenwi, GFH Board member, Founder/Director of CASD and the primary author of the publication, and Eleanor Fon, in-country manager of the Project shared some key learnings, including:
*What started with information sharing about the three trimesters of pregnancy and the birth experience for first time fathers has evolved into customized conversations to meet the needs of individual men and couples; this has even included helping to settle marital disputes;
*Some myths about prenatal do’s and don’ts are dispelled—for example, only women should be present at antenatal visits, there is no role for men in the birth experience, or couples can’t have sex during pregnancy;
* A key result has been bonding between the two parents and with the newborn so they are enjoying the birth experience and life more;
*One primary method for evaluating success of the Project is going back separately to each partner after the birth to ask if/how things have changed. It has been helpful to give space for both mother and father to speak freely about life with a newborn and the impact of the CASD approach;
* Outreach originally focused on first-time pregnancies; as time went on, the Project has met a need for couples who are pregnant with subsequent pregnancies.
One Heart Worldwide (Nepal) Shares A Key Modification for Their Setting
Surya Bhatta, Executive Director of One Heart Worldwide (Nepal) that has incorporated elements of the Paternity Clinic Project in their work with birthing families, said it’s very important to have family members involved from pregnancy onward. This is not necessarily the husband, and sometimes includes parents of the young couple. We look forward to learning more from the Nepali team about their best practices.
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