ABSTRACT
Introduction Professional observations and research have shown that a substantial number of women and their partners enter new parenthood not knowing what to expect emotionally or without the skills or support to evaluate or cope with the normal and natural changes they encounter. British antenatal classes appear to be based on the myth that, during pregnancy, women are not capable of addressing issues beyond the birth experience. Postnatal groups focus mainly on practical aspects of infant care or offer loosely structured social support. The most persistent criticisms are the narrowness of focus, the provision of just one social opportunity after the birth for new parents to meet up and talk about their experiences, and the exclusion of fathers. There is an unforeseen demand for a change of focus and for continuity in antenatal classes, and there is a need for further emotional support for early parenting after the birth, which includes fathers and emphasises non-verbal emotional-expressive communication between parents and infants (Parr et al., 1997; Parr, 1998; Woollett and Parr, 1997; WHO, 1995).
