Men No Longer Feeling So Left Out -- Ultrasound Experience Bonds Them With Baby

It didn't happen with my husband (maybe because, 13 years ago, ultrasounds were milky and hard to see), but a new study has found that "seeing their babies’ ultrasound images for the first time is a powerful moment for expectant fathers, and could hasten family bonding and provide an opportunity for promoting positive partnering and parenting," according to newswise.com.

 Today, with just about everything visible from your baby's nose to his toes, I'm sure it's a much more dramatic experience.  But when our son was in-utero, we could barely make out his head.

 (Even so, I have his 20-week ultrasound in a frame in our room and I feel happy every time I look at it.)

 It's all about being left out.

 “While all our fathers felt the mothers were receiving good care, about half of them felt excluded or ignored and wished that providers would offer them more explanation and opportunity to ask questions during the appointment,’’ says Dr. Tova Walsh, a researcher at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, at newswise.com. “Because so much previous research shows that mothers and babies benefit when fathers are positively involved and supportive during pregnancy, they should feel welcome at an event that is their first interaction with the healthcare of the mother and baby.”
Turns out the ultrasound experience established the reality of the coming child, and reassured them, along with the mom, that all was going well with the pregnancy.
"It also caused the men to reflect on their roles in the life of mother and child, making it an important practical and psychological preparation for parenthood," the Web site reports The study noted that the men’s “plans and dreams alike extended beyond the immediate future of infancy and across the child’s lifespan.”
And don't worry if you're a second- or third-time dad.  They're just as excited, too, the study found.

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