PARENTING
Rivers Corbett, a gregariousentrepreneur from the Maritimes, alwayswanted a daughter. He was elated whenAshley was born, but started to feeloverwhelmed after his family arrivedhome. “Life changed,” Corbett says.
The baby blues are common in womenand symptoms include one to two weeksof tearfulness and extreme fatigue aftergiving birth. Dads and partners can also
Even fathers get
the baby blues
Social support can help parents recover from postpartum depression
WRITTEN BY DOUG HORNERPHOTOGRAPHED BY EWAN NICHOLSON
experience the stress associated with theseismic shifts of parenthood. “Societysays you’re supposed to be happy,”Corbett says.
“On the inside you think: ‘That babyhas taken everything from me. Shewon’t talk to me. She only yells at me.She needs my attention all the time,’ ”Corbett says.
There is a pressure to succeed as
a provider while taking on the new
responsibilities of parenthood. Plus,
his daughter had colic and no one was
getting much sleep. “And the ego kicks
in and I would think: ‘I’m a big guy;
I’m a grizzly bear; I’m a Canadian; I
can handle this.’ Outwardly you try
and convey it, but inwardly it’s a huge
struggle.”
It’s a strength, not a weakness, to ask
Building a support team and connecting to others can help dads cope if they experience depression after a baby’s birth.
