How Men’s Bodies Change When they Become Fathers by Anna Machin

How Men's Bodies Change When they Become Fathers.

Hint: They don’t just get ‘dad bods.’

By Anna Machin

Armando Veve

As an anthropologist who studies human fatherhood at the University of Oxford, I’ve run up against a widespread and deeply ingrained belief among fathers: that because their bodies haven’t undergone the myriad biological changes associated with pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding, they’re not as biologically and psychologically “primed” for caretaking as women are.

As a result, they feel less confident and question their abilities to parent: Will they be “good” parents? Will they bond with their babies? How will they know what to do?

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