Two-thirds of new dads admit to feeling ‘left out’ in the early days of parenting

The study of 1,015 UK parents of children aged six months to five years found 69 per cent of fathers only felt they became a ‘true’ parent after sharing feeding responsibilities with mum.

In comparison, 22 per cent of new mothers already felt that way the moment they saw their positive pregnancy test.

A further 66 per cent of dads wanted to feel more involved and responsible in the early days.

While seven in 10 felt a real sense of relief when they were given the chance to help and support their partner in a more ‘hands on’ way.

The study was commissioned by Aptamil Advanced Follow On Milk to mark the launch of its ‘Share the Moments that Matter’ campaign, which features celebrity parents Izzy and Harry Judd.

Also featuring their recent addition, baby Lockie, the campaign film aims to highlight the importance of building a bond with baby and the special moments that bring joy to both parents, when the feeding journey is shared.

Izzy said: “We truly feel like we are partners in our parenting journey, and we love watching Lockie develop and grow.

“Seeing Harry feed Lockie and watching their bond develop is so special, it’s like they’re having their very own silent conversation when they feed.”

Harry added: “Izzy was so amazing at bringing baby Lockie into the world, I couldn’t wait to help out more and be hands on throughout the day and night.

“When the time came to share feeds, I began to share those really precious moments during feeding time and now absolutely love the close, intimate one-on-one bond I’ve developed with Lockie.”