Dads-to-be want to stay at home

Many men want to play a bigger role in bringing up their child

A third of fathers-to-be would like to stay at home and look after their children, a survey has found.

Another third would like to switch from full to part-time work, if finances allowed them to.

Pregnancy and Birth magazine surveyed 2,000 pregnant women and their partners.

It found that, in contrast to the traditional picture of an expectant father pacing the corridors outside the delivery room, 98% of men expect to be at the birth.

It's time to give all dads the recognition and legal status they deserve as committed parents Elena Dalrymple, editor of Pregnancy and Baby magazine

Nine out of 10 men go to scans and check-ups and more than half go to antenatal classes with their partners.

The majority of men and women surveyed said they thought fathers-to-be should have the same rights as mothers.

But most unmarried fathers were completely unaware they had no legal say in their child's upbringing.

'Social revolution'

Elena Dalrymple, editor of Pregnancy and Baby magazine said: "Men want to be fathers just as much as women want to be mothers.

"Modern dads pour their life and soul into fatherhood and should have the same or similar rights to mothers.

"It's time to give all dads the recognition and legal status they deserve as committed parents."

Jack O'Sullivan of the campaign group Fathers Direct told BBC News Online: "We are seeing a social revolution in the way men look at fathering and at work after they become fathers.

"But they find themselves pushed into working longer hours after their baby is born than they were before, and that's down to economics."

Mr O'Sullivan accepted that both men and women often wanted a better balance between family life and work.

"It's an ambition that's very difficult to realise."