Table 4 Factors influencing fathers’ sense of security

Internal factors

Own emotional state, knowledge and experiences

 ─ Being prepared to welcome the baby [83, 85]

 ─ Lack of control over the beginning of birth [85]

 ─ Concern about not arriving at the delivery ward in time and having to deliver the baby themselves [85]

 ─ Confidence in healthcare professionals [85]

 ─ Sense of participation during pregnancy [84, 86]

 ─ Sense of participation in decision making during birth [83, 84, 86]

 ─ Sense of being responsible for the care of the mother and the child at home [83, 86]

 ─ Knowing who to ask [86]

 ─ Previous experiences of childbirth [85, 86]

 ─ Affinity to mother of the common child [81]

External factors

States of health of mother and child

 ─ Emotional well-being of the mother [84]

 ─ Physical well-being of the baby/ability to breast feed [83, 84, 86]

 ─ Birth without complications [85, 86]

 ─ Woman’s experiences and knowledge [85, 86]

Attributes and acts of supporting persons

 ─ Competence of healthcare professionals/midwives [85, 86]

 ─ Midwives’/nurses’ empowering behaviour [83, 84]

 ─ Cooperation with the midwife [85]

 ─ Participation in the care of the baby [83, 86]

 ─ Information from friends and midwives [85]

 ─ Being taken care of and attention during childbirth [85, 86]

 ─ Being heard and taken seriously [86]

 ─ Being given confirmation about the normality of the situation [86]

 ─ Being given relevant and consistent information and explanations [86]

Settings and options of maternity care

 ─ Participation in antenatal visits [83, 86]

 ─ Parental education meetings [85]

 ─ The opportunity to be together with the mother and child at hospital [86]

 ─ Postnatal visits at home [83]

 ─ Available medical resources after childbirth [83, 85]

Personal live situation

 ─ Returning home after childbirth [86]

 ─ Possibility of being together with the mother and child at home [86]