DADDY DOES CARE

We are going through a baby boom. In 2011 there were 74,648 births registered in Ireland, a 29% increase on the births of a decade previous, in 2001. With each of those births also comes the dad conundrum — traditionally sidelined, often willingly, throughout pregnancy and birth by all and sundry, medical professionals, friends, family, even partner, new dads have often struggled to find their precise role in the grand scheme of things.

But all this is changing in 21st century Ireland, change reflected in the success of David Caren’s website, dad.ie, an invaluable forum and resource centre for new dads. The change is also reflected in the speed with which David’s book, The Irish Dad’s

Survival Guide to Pregnancy and Beyond, was snapped up by O’Brien Press.