Parenting expectations and concerns of fathers and mothers of newborn infants

Mothers and their partners were interviewed in the Labor and Delivery units of two hospitals in Tennessee. An association was found between level of m other's concern about caring for her child and a mismatch between partners' expectations for father's helpful involvement in certain aspects of parent ing. The perinatal period while parents are in health care settings provide s opportune time for family life education approaches that explore couples' expectations for paternal involvement and their parenting concerns.