Fathers' experience of their partners' antepartum bed rest.
OBJECTIVE
To survey paternal worries, concerns, stresses, or problems and the type of support received by men whose partners were prescribed antepartum bed rest at home, or in the hospital, or both.


METHODS
Descriptive retrospective. A national subsample of 59 men whose mates were on pregnancy bed rest were randomly selected in 1995 from a nonrandom select sample of individuals who had contacted a bed-rest support group for information.


METHODS
The Paternal Bed Rest Questionnaire of open-ended questions designed to detail paternal concerns, stresses, and supports was mailed to gathers.


RESULTS
Major problems for fathers were assuming multiple roles, managing emotional responses, and caring for their partner. The major paternal worry was for the health of mate and fetus. Coping strategies included using tangible assistance; altering cognitive, behavioral, and emotional responses; and verbalizing worries. Fathers reported receiving little assistance from health care providers.


CONCLUSIONS
Fathers experience extreme stress when pregnancy bed rest is prescribed for a mate. Family-centered care should include care of the partner whose mate is at high-risk. Interventions that reduce paternal worry and provide emotional and tangible support are needed.
Maloni
J A
JA
University of Wisconsin-Madison, School of Nursing 53792-2455, USA.
Ponder
M B
MB
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001510:Bed Rest; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000451:nursing*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018454:Spouses / Q000523:psychology*