New Dads Given Advice

Expectant Dads across the Midlands now have no excuse when it comes to parenting.

Wallet-sized "Dad Cards", with tips on subjects from paternity leave to sex during pregnancy, will be available from hundreds of maternity units across the country.

Employers including Lloyds TSB and BT, local authorities and the Armed Forces will also make the cards available, according to the Dad Info service.

A spokesman said: "There has been a huge social change where dads are much more involved with children than ever before. We're just trying to meet their information needs.

"A child only has one chance of having a well-informed dad. How many children are losing out because dad isn't as well informed as he might have been?

"The service aims to be useful to the half a million British men who become dads each year, as well as the estimated eight million who are currently fathers of children."

The scheme, which does not have Government funding but relies on sponsorship, advertising and sales, has so far printed 375,000 cards.

They are provided free of charge to the Armed Forces and NHS, with 270 maternity services taking a supply of 125,000 for first three months.

But employers and councils have to pay, at a cost of 25p-39p per card.

Dad Info said 20 local authorities had ordered a total of 250,000 cards.

The cards direct concerned dads to a website, www.dad.info, where further information is available, including financial help available to families, how to look after a baby in an emergency and how to support a partner during pregnancy.

Maggie Jarvis is Head of Midwifery at Nuneaton's George Elliot Hospital she says:

"Dad's can become quite traumatised observing the birth so this has come very timely so that they are much more well equipped to be able to cope with the sights and sounds, shall we say, within a delivery room."

Hear more from her here...♦