Parenting Expectations and Concerns of Fathers and Mothers of Newborn Infants*

Mothers and their partners were interviewed in the Labor and Delivery units of two hospitals in Tennessee. An association was found between level of mother's concern about caring for her child and a mismatch between partners' expectations for father's helpful involvement in certain aspects of parenting. The perinatal period while parents are in health care settings provides opportune time for family life education approaches that explore couples' expectations for paternal involvement and their parenting concerns.