The Health | MARCH, 2019
22
men
Men can
feel the
same way
The effects of hormonal
changes are usually talked
about in women, but men
actually are faced with the
same issues
THE FEELS: Men could be victim
to hormonal changes during or after
their child’s birth, similar to how their
wives go through.
Lowering of testosterone
Besides depression, men will probably experience a
plunge in their testosterone levels. Testosterone is
basically an aggression hormone. It is what gives men
their masculine traits.
Most people think that when the baby is born,
fathers would want to prove their virility and that this
has something to do with rising testosterone levels, but
they can be surprisingly wrong.
The lowering process of testosterone level would have
begun even before the baby is born. This occurs in the
last trimester of the pregnancy. Some men experience
only small changes, but these changes are important to
take note on and should not be overlooked.
When testosterone levels drop, it could possibly
mean that the father’s bodily chemicals preparing him
to bond with his new born heir. Fortunately, this does
not make a man less of a man. It just gives him a gentler
touch.
By Christine Zoe St Maria
M
ost studies about pregnancy and
parenthood are divided into gender.
They mostly revolve on the changes
women experience during the
expectant months of being pregnant
as well as what happens after the
baby is delivered.
Most people assume that the only changes that the
father goes through is his happiness upon seeing his
child for the first time and the excitement of being a
new dad.
However, the public is now discovering that men
experience physical changes just like their partners, and
that these changes often happen on a hormonal level.
The changes
Many people are aware of the fact that depression and
anxiety can affect women during their pregnancy as
well as early parenthood. However, men can also be
at risk. When hormones such as oestrogen, prolactin,
and cortisol go up, it can cause sleep deprivation that
can cause depression. Some men even develop nausea
and weight gain.
Moreover, up to one in ten new fathers can experi-
ence depression and anxiety during the pregnancy or
after the baby’s birth. This is an increasingly common
condition known as paternal postpartum depression
(PPD).
Not seeking help
Distressed fathers prefer to remain unidentified and
unsupported due to both a reluctance to seek help for
themselves. It must be understood that the transition
to parenthood is a risk period for fathers as well as
mothers.
A fathers’ mental health and the quality of his
relationship with his partner can have a huge impact
on their child’s overall development. Fathers who are
sensitive and supportive have children who would
develop better social skills and language.
Paternal postpartum depression in new fathers can
start during the pregnancy process and increase after
the child is born. The sad fact is that new fathers don’t
access the sort of services that new mothers do. They do
not want to see their doctor, which is where problems
are often picked up in women.
As with women, it is important that depression in
fathers is recognised and is treated as soon as possible
and effectively. This can contribute in avoiding some
long term effects on the father’s mental health and his
relationships with his partner, children, family and
friends.
Other hormonal changes
Most people think
that when the baby
is born, fathers
would want to prove
their virility and that
this has something
to do with rising
testosterone levels,
but they can be
surprisingly wrong.”
There might also be an increase in their prolactin levels.
Prolactin is a hormone that is secreted by the pituitary
gland to stimulate the production of milk.
After the baby has been born, the hormone reaches
its highest levels in men. This does not necessarily mean
that men can actually actively produce milk.
A study was conducted in the Philippines in the
year 2012 has discovered that the prolactin hormone
levels in new fathers were the highest in any segment
of the male population. The process starts during the
pregnancy itself. This ‘ability’ manifests at its highest
especially after the baby is born.
The high prolactin in new fathers meant that they
will be more responsive to the crying of their babies.
However, it definitely seems to be founded during the
expecting period as well, mostly in the last few weeks
of the pregnancy. Thus, it would seem that prolactin is,
in fact, an emotional hormone that makes men better
at their jobs as fathers. — The Health