EarlyMomentsMatter: Father/Baby
The implication of both mother and father is essential in the life of a child, in particular during his first 1000 days. Today, the dads get involved more and more and earlier and earlier in the education. However, they always make it in average less than the moms. To remind the importance of their role, the UNICEF launched on Father Day the campaign #EarlyMomentsMatter. Early moments matter and every moment counts, which is why this Father’s Day UNICEF is calling on governments and companies “for greater investment in policies that give dads, and all parents, the time and support they need to nurture their babies.” explains the organization on its site.
Fathers all around the world
The photographer Adriana Zehbrauskas shows in this campaign dads welcoming their newborn babies in five different countries: Guinea-Bissau, Mexico, Thailand, Turkmenistan and the United Kingdom. “The birth of a newborn from the perspective of the mother and baby has been documented so beautifully many times, but relatively speaking there is somewhat a lack of images that portray the birth and first moments of life from the father’s perspective,”. She added to the Huffington Post “Showing fathers in this way ? emotional, full of pride, committed ? in the most life-changing moments in their lives will hopefully encourage and inspire other fathers across the world to feel confident and play a big role in their young children’s lives.”
United Kingdom
Alex Edmonds Brown holds his son Harley James in the maternity ward of the Exeter Hospital, in England.
“He was born at 32 weeks, he was premature, and this is our first day in the room together. He’s been in the incubator and on the ward, it’s nice to be in the room now,” says Alex, a tanker driver, who took two weeks of paternity leave when his son Harley was born. “I go to work and I come here after I finish work and spend the whole evening with him, at the moment I’m just changing him and feeding him.”
Mexico
Gerardo Brito Rodriguez holds his 13-day-old premature baby in Mexico City. He also has an 8-year-old boy. “He already wants to know her because he entered the operating room and wanted to meet her. In fact, he has been preparing a surprise party for when she arrives,” said Gerardo of his son.
Thailand
“??I came to see my baby’s face. My boss didn’??t allow me to take the day off because I had lots of work, but I don’t care, my family comes first,”? Supidej said. “I was shocked when I found out my wife [was pregnant]. I thought we were very young. … When the baby moved and I touched, I felt very good that I’m becoming a father” indicated the father of 20 years, Supidej Jaithon.
“I’ve been here every day. I’ve been doing skin-to-skin. It helps him relax, it helps his brain function. I feel this connection with him. We are communicating through skin and our feelings ? it’s a true bonding experience, so warm,” said Paul. “I was scared that our time in the hospital would be painstakingly slow, like we were just waiting to take him home, but with the skin-to-skin and the care my days in the hospital fly by. … When he came out after the operation, it was terrifying, [his] being so premature. He didn’t look like what you see in the movies, but I bonded with him straight away.”
In Turkmenistan, s celebrated by the whole family commemorate the arrival of the baby. When you go home, everybody gets dressed up, and the cars are decorated. In this country, the education of children is entrusted to mothers and grandmothers, but it is part of the tradition that it is the dads who bring newborns home.
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