The journey into fatherhood is profound. New research shows that there are direct correlations between physiological changes that occur in conjunction with the emotional and psychological changes men experience during their partner’s pregnancy and after childbirth.
What is Dad Brain?
What is sometimes referred to as “Dad Brain”, turns out to be an actual physical and biological transformation men go through from apparent environmental and neuro-chemical signals that occur during their child’s gestational period and birth. We now know that both parent’s brains present significant and observable “shrinkage” in some parts during pregnancy and postpartum.
Concurrently, there is a decreased production of testosterone in both men and women during pregnancy and after birth. We also know that men present a similar surge in hormones such as oxytocin and prolactin, much like mothers, directly connected to the experience of bonding with their newborn babies. Nature’s intricate and well evolved “soup” of chemistry appears to be preparing both mom and dad for parenting.
What causes Dad Brain?
Psychologist Darby Saxbe, recently published research in the journal Cerebral Cortex, which shows that men develop a sort of “Dad-Brain”, directly correlating to their children’s birth, much like a mother’s brain changes during and after pregnancy.
Further evidence of neuroplasticity is demonstrated by changes that occur in parents’ brains, which are believed to help them develop the necessary empathy for a non-verbal infant, in what is described as the “parental care-giving brain network”. These areas of the brain are lit up during parenting, caregiving, pregnancy, or lactation.
Another study, published in the journal Psychological Bulletin, found that lower testosterone levels in expectant fathers correlate with improved parenting behaviors, suggesting that nature may be adapting men’s biology to promote bonding with their partners and newborns.
What effect does Dad Brain have?
If you’re a dad experiencing more emotions, more connection, more compassion and empathy for your partners and children, this research might explain why. Moreover, these physiological and biological changes would make perfect sense that a parent must fundamentally transform their approach to have more patience, resilience, and connection with their child and family.
These findings might also explain the tendency of fathers to perhaps gain a little weight, become more sedentary, and experience more emotions during and after pregnancy, a phenomenon known as “couvade syndrome” or sympathetic pregnancy.
New fathers certainly go through their own unique and personal emotional journey, and it turns out that this is all a very natural process.
Dad Brain is real! Nature is simply telling you to embrace the process of these natural and formative changes while discovering a deeper emotional connection to your child and family. Feel all the feels dads and enjoy your new life as a father.
