Synthesised themes
| Synthesised theme | Synthesised subtheme | Quote |
| Theme 1: Diminished partner relationship (Objective a) (Objective a) | Invasion of infant Perinatal adjustment demands My child is my partner’s child Inequality in parenthood from mother | “We don’t usually argue, we don’t snap at one another. And…knowing I was doing it…for no good reason was really upsetting.” (Father, UK)49 p.631 “I enjoy getting involved with it, but … my partner … tends to take over … she seems to feel that she’s the mother … that I can’t do it properly.” (Father, UK)31 p.157 |
| Theme 2: Provider or protector? Multiplicity of fatherhood identification (Objective a) (Objective a) | Balancing culturally specific fatherhood expectations Parental confrontation from generation gap | "I would say that’s the largest part I have to play, lah, to really financially support the whole household… Ya, I guess that’s about it, lah.” (Father, Singapore)44 p.9 “My mother-in-law and I had a tension regarding breastfeeding. She didn’t breastfeed in the past and pushed the same for my baby. So, I mean, I was quite insistent, to the extent of like quarrelling with her.” (Father, Singapore)58 p.32 |
| Theme 3: Forgotten entity within the perinatal experience (Objective a) (Objective b) | Exclusion and degrading humour from healthcare professionals Neglection of fatherhood education as a toolkit | “Everybody I’ve been in contact with has, … sort of, been in the mindset of treating you like you’re a bit of a tool… I was a dad putting the poppers on in a room full of mothers, they’re (health professional) like ha, ha, you know, look, dad’s struggling.” (Father, UK)4 p.8 “But it was none of the kind of, practical tips of what to do once things start going wrong, in the sense that your child may not know how to latch. So, as a dad, what can you do to, kind of, support that?” (Father, UK)4 p.7 |
| Theme 4: "I try to battle it myself," masculine ideals within fatherhood (Objective b) (Objective a) | Isolation of emotional struggles "Is this normal?" Desperate for validation from peers | “But I suppose as a man I think … it’s always been a perception that we’re supposed to able to handle it.” (Father, UK)31 p.158 “We blokes are rubbish at talking.” (Father, UK)4 pg.7 |