Cairo - Shima Mikkawi
In an interview with Arabstoday psychiatry professor Heba Issawi has attributed the jealous feeling that some new fathers experience to the mother. Issawi explained: “When the father and mother have a new baby, it is inevitable that they will spend their time caring for it but in many cases the mother give the newborn a great deal more attention due to her maternal instinct. Simultaneously, her attention towards her husband can decrease.” “In many cases,” Heba emphasized, “the wife is not intentionally neglecting her husband. The main burden of raising the newborn falls on the woman, but when the husband feels that he is losing out on his wife’s attention, he may start feeling jealous of the newborn. This jealousy in not motivated by revenge but unfortunately it can affect the relationship between a couple.” Heba advised that there are some things women can do to help relieve the tension: -Manage your time so that you can divide it between the needs of your baby and your husband. - Involve the father in the duties towards the newborn and try to make him feel responsible for this little baby too. -Engage him in your daily tasks. This will help him feel involved whilst also helping him to understand and appreciate your efforts on the other hand. -Kind words can go a long way towards making your husband feel that you still care