James, 34, a marketing manager from Hove, remembers the weeks after his son Jude was born in spring last year mostly as a blur. “I had two weeks off, which is not enough time to adjust to parenthood,” he says.
“I found the experience uniquely confronting. Seeing and holding my son for the first time was overwhelming. I felt instant love for him, but was ill-prepared for the crash when the initial joy wore off. I felt a crushing pressure to be attentive and conscientious. At one point, after a visit from a health visitor, I found myself sobbing.”
