The head of a neo-natal programme has expressed pleasant surprise over the high number of Jamaican fathers who consistently attend her six-week course along with their partners, and is urging more men to take up the mantle.

“I think traditionally, men always thought that pregnancy is a woman’s thing, and the baby thing is a woman’s thing—the change that really happens from the beginning of the class to the end of the six weeks is that the dads become more empowered,” noted Dr Soyini Gordon Mitchell, the chief executive officer and founder of Bam Moms Club.

“Because what happens with them now is that they know how they can actually become a more active part of the pregnancy,” she explained.

Gordon Mitchell spoke to Observer Online about issues of absent fathers and male support during pregnancy, revealing that in her experience there is significant interest from fathers.

“We see a lot of dads, a lot of dads, and that was very surprising to us because when we first started, we weren’t expecting that. [About 86 to 90 per cent] of the dads come in and they’re active, especially to the in-person class,” she explained, adding “A lot of dads actually make initial contact as well, to sign up their spouses. And they are very, very engaged and interactive in the course.”

During the classes, the men are exposed to proper breastfeeding techniques, lessons on pumping breastmilk, pushing for delivery, how to identify pregnancy complications, and more. Gordon Mitchell says the men leave the course much more secure in their role.

While sharing anecdotes of the bond between fathers and moms in her class as they learn, Gordon Mitchell admitted that this attitude did not necessarily represent the majority of Jamaican fathers, cautioning that the men there had made conscious choices to become present fathers.

“I’m not going to vouch for every man because we do know that we have fatherlessness in Jamaica, let’s not make any mistake. But my point is that there still are good men there that are very supportive,” She said.

Gordon Mitchell gave an example.

“As a matter of fact we have a WhatsApp group, so at first it was a moms’ club, so we just had the moms. Well, the dads [were] like, no, why can’t we go in the WhatsApp group? And we’re like, ‘cause you know, it’s just like a women’s group. So we put [a vote] to the moms, and everybody wanted the dads to come. So now, the dads and the moms are in the WhatsApp group, they’re very vocal and they’re very engaged,” she said.

When questioned on how to engage more Jamaican men in the process of pregnancy and in their role as fathers, Gordon Mitchell said that just because the men weren’t pushing didn’t mean that there was no place for them.

“Education is power. And I feel like, I mean, there is such a wealth of information.

right now, even on the internet, even though it can be a lot. But try to read as much as possible and get as much information as possible about all of the aspects of pregnancy and what mommy is going through. Know that there’s a lot that you can do as a dad, it’s not just to pay the money,” she advised.

The doctor added that taking part in the pregnancy process could help reduce instances of fatherlessness locally,

“When you’re a part of the process, because you saw how the process went, you are able to build a bond, you’re empowered, and you feel confident to continue being a part of them growing, and being a part of the family, and being there for the kids through their childhood, to their teens, to their adulthood,” she maintained.

Bam Moms Club was started by Gordon Mitchell to provide support and information from experts to pregnant women and their support system in their second to third trimesters.

Dr Soyini Gordon Mitchell, Founder and CEO of BAM Moms Club (@Bammomsclub), Mitchell has a degree in chemistry and is a medical doctor

Men accompany their pregnant partners to pre-natal classes at Bam Moms Club, founder Dr Soyini Gordon Mitchell says at least 86 percent of fathers show up with their partners to classes

A Bam Moms Club dad practices proper bottle feeding techniques as taught in the six week class . Founder Dr Soyini Gordon Mitchell says at least 86 percent of fathers show up with their partners to classes demonstrating a readiness for fatherhood.