Bringing home a new baby drops a world of new responsibilities and priorities on dads. Caring for both the baby and a partner recovering from childbirth while keeping meals on the table and food in the fridge can be overwhelming.
Family can help, of course. While grandparents, aunts and uncles give time and advice to new parents, most attention is focused on mom and baby. It’s no wonder dads can feel a little adrift when adjusting to the new reality that is fatherhood.
And the pain is real. Male postpartum or paternal postpartum depression can be common for new dads, Cleveland Clinic psychologist Dr. Adam Borland states in a 2025 Cleveland Clinic article titled, “What To Know About Male Postpartum Depression.”
“About 10% of fathers experience depression around the birth of a new child, according to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association,” the article states.
Changes in relationship dynamics can be a cause, but biology plays a part, too.
Male hormones shift, testosterone can drop, and low testosterone can be a contributing factor to depression in men, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Men can be left feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, anxious or discouraged. And it’s hard for dads to find someone who understands them and what they are going through.
Getting Support for Dads
Fortunately, there are fathers who’ve been there and are trying to create opportunities for dads to connect and talk about the kind of parenting issues that matter to them.
Daddy Stroller Social Club (daddystrollersocialclub.com), with chapters nationwide, was formed in Dallas by Kalvin Bridgewater in an effort to raise awareness about male postpartum depression. The Cleveland chapter hosts get-togethers they call “strides” where armies of dads with strollers and children meet for events like cookouts or a trip to the Holden Arboretum.
Dads Stand Up CLE is another local organization helping dads connect. Formed by Jon Gromek and Nick Walton, Dads Stand Up is a local offshoot of Dads for All, a national organization dedicated to building community, taking action, and helping dads show up as their best and fullest selves.
Men can struggle with issues like time management, identity challenges, work/life balance, and the way family dynamics change when new siblings are added to the mix.
Walton refers to not only a male loneliness epidemic, but a loneliness epidemic in everyone that he sees as a result of our social media culture. Many dads he spoke to at their first meet-up agreed. “There’s a vacuum where there’s no forums or venues for dads to naturally aggregate together,” he says. “All these personal connections we have formed 10, 20 or 30 years ago have been commoditized by the internet, so we have to be more intentional about gathering and getting folks together.”
“When my kids were much younger, I just tried to more informally pull some dads together on occasion, just to grab a beer and hang out, and Nick was always
a part of that,” Gromek adds. “Honestly, our wives were in mom groups, with text chats blowing up, and for a variety of reasons we just really didn’t have that as dads. We wanted to create that kind of community.”
The group holds some events just for fathers, providing an opportunity to get together and talk about issues important to them. They’re looking for fathers who want to connect with other dads, to contribute to their communities and give what they call “Big Dad Energy.”
Other activities include the kids. They recently partnered with the Cleveland Soccer Club so dads and kids could watch a match and participate in a halftime shootout on the field at Baldwin Wallace’s George Finnie Stadium. Gromek and Walton say they are currently planning a Habitat for Humanity volunteer event later this summer.
Also, virtual communities can complement in-person meet-ups. Gromek sees social media as a way to tell their story. Group chats keep dads connected with peers they’ve met at events. He notes these connections are building a network of fathers who want to help one another and the communities they live in.
“I love this little community we have,” Gromek says.
Resources for Dads
- Cuyahoga County Fatherhood Initiative, run by the county board of Health and Human Services, also offers programs and father/child activities.
- Daddy Stroller Social Club Cleveland Chapter Instagram: @daddystrollersocialclub_cle
- Dads Stand Up CLE – Follow on social media channels: @dadsstandupcle
- Dads can also check their churches and faith organizations for offerings of fellowship groups for men and fathers.
