‘Parent number two’: Fathers’ and providers’ experiences of group antenatal education – a qualitative systematic review

Fathers receive limited support regarding pregnancy and parenting issues. Educators have been found to sometimes have negative attitudes regarding antenatal education and ambivalence about supporting fathers. Therefore, the aim of this review is to examine the available qualitative evidence in regards to fathers’ and their educators’ experiences of antenatal group education. A meta-aggregative approach following Joanne Briggs Institute (JBI) guidance for qualitative systematic reviews was followed. The electronic search was conducted on CINHAL, MEDLINE and PsycINFO, that met the eligibility criteria, which were: qualitative studies, published in peer reviewed journals, that report on the experiences of fathers that attended group antenatal education and/or contains experiences of educators that teach fathers in group antenatal education. Grey literature, one-to-one education sessions, postnatal sessions or articles not written in English were excluded. Thirty studies were included in the review, resulting in four synthesized findings: 1) Father’s role needs to be acknowledged; 2) Antenatal classes do not prepare fathers; 3) What works for fathers; 4) Gateway to equal parenting. Fathers feel part of the pregnancy with their partners; however, they are not made to feel included when it comes to antenatal education. Recommendations for practice include: the need to develop specific content for fathers; options for fathers-only classes; training for professionals; promoting fathers’ involvement and positive masculinity. Recommendations for research include: co-design of father specific interventions; understand educators’ and organisational and policy makers’ views and needs. Recommendations for policy include: to be more family-centred and provide specific guidance to achieve this.