Vivência do homem no puerpério

After the birth of a child, during the post-partum period, the exercise of fatherhood, the sexual relationships either marital or sexual as well as the definition of the male role are all aspects that can change. These changes are guarded and can contribute to strengthen the familiar bond or deprive it. Thus, this study aims to understand the male experience during the partner s puerperal period. In this period, the male interacts and participates according to his understanding of the post-partum period. The male experiences different situations with his partner, family and social environment. This research is descriptive-exploratory and has a qualitative approach. It was developed with 15 men that live with their live with their partners during the puerperal period. The data was collected through a semi-structured interview. These data was treated according to content analysis proposed by Bardin. These were analyzed through Symbolic Interacionism according to Blumer. Thus, three themes emergedshares of care in the home environment, meanings attributed to the puerperium, emotions emerged during the post-partum - the seven subcategories-taking care of the wife and child, supporting the family, moment to rest, fulfillment through fatherhood, sense of joy, feeling of concern and sense of exclusion. It was seen that the subjects experience post-partum mainly by taking care of their partner and child and providing support of the family. Besides the mentioned aspects, there was meaning attributed to the puerperal period, considering it a period of rest for the partner and above all, fatherhood. Thus, even understanding that it is excluded, the subjects expressed joy and worriness towards the child s future, related to the insecurity in which the country goes through in current conjuncture

Quando as mulheres se tornam mães: a história reprodutiva feminina numa visão evolucionista

In this thesis we tested evolutionary hypotheses, with empirically collected data, in a sample composed of pregnant Brazilian women. We consider that during pregnancy and soon after the baby's birth fundamental reproductive decisions take place, given the complete feminine involvement with the reproduction phenomenon. The results are presented in four empirical articles related to the history of female reproduction. The topics approached were mate selection, the life-history theory, the strategies of parental investment and postpartum depression. Data collection was accomplished through interviews with pregnant women and after the baby s birth, with a sample composed of women from two income classes (low income and middle class), in Natal, Brazil. With respect to mate selection, the results suggest that a real situation of reproductive mate selection shows significant differences when compared to the results obtained in studies involving potential mate selection (Article I). Considering the life-history theory, we have partially confirmed the hypothesis of the father`s absence influencing the development of the young female syndrome (Article II). In regard to parental investment strategies and the decrease of fatherhood uncertainty, we identified a larger attribution of the baby's resemblance after birth with the father, confirming our hypothesis (Article III). The results related to postpartum depression occurrence partially support the hypothesis that it is an evolutionary adaptation (Article IV). This thesis is part of a consolidation movement of Evolutionary Psychology in Brazil and it presents results on female reproductive history hitherto unpublished.