Gone are the days when a father waited impatiently in the waiting room, chain-smoking, until he was told his child was born and he could see him through a glass. The way women give birth nowadays is much more open and the father participates actively. But, do you feel comfortable with this?

Hispanic fathers and the importance of labor

Traditionally in our culture, other women were the ones assisting during labor. The mom, the sister or even the mother-in-law would encourage and support the future mom during this ordeal. In the last couple of years, Hispanic men have begun to participate more intensely and actively in the delivery process.

It's common to expect the father to be with the future mom during delivery, to massage her, encourage her and give her his support during the delivery phase of pushing, and finally, have him cut the umbilical cord. Nevertheless, although there are Hispanic fathers who feel very proud of participating in this process, there are others for whom this may be a shocking experience.

A study shows that among Hispanic parents, the comfort offered by Hispanic fathers to their spouses was different from that which the hospital's staff generally expected. A traditional way to comfort a wife is to hold her hand and simply offer tender words of support. Women in this study showed that they felt very happy with this type of support.

It's important for you to offer your spouse support during labor, and it will be even more effective if you find a way to do it which you feel comfortable with. Talk to your spouse before labor about how she would like you to support her and how you would like to offer her your support.

A father for your children

It's a fact that a child needs a father figure for their development. Fathers have a different type of relationship with their children from their mother's and it is a very beneficial one for the child. But nowadays being a father doesn’t mean solely taking care of the finances, as used to be the case in many traditional families in the past: being a father means to participate actively in your child's daily life and activities.

The contact you have with your child is giving him a unique way of relating to others. Mothers tend to be the caregivers and comforters, while fathers play more with them and provide them with more physical contact. It's common for the father to play "monster" and run after them around the house while they giggle, and the mom is the one who lulls them to sleep (although there are families, of course, where the roles are reversed).

From the way you play with your child, even to the way you encourage him to explore new adventures or how you tell him off, your child is learning a new way to relate to the world. Besides, the father figure is a great help in defining your child's identity, especially if it is a boy.

You may have grown up in a traditional environment in which your father didn't participate much in games or your emotional life and you may find it difficult to imagine yourself in that role. However, there are many ways to be present in your child's life, not only for the healthy development of your child, but so that you can enjoy him as much as possible too.