Glasgow South Charity Launches Podcast For New Fathers-to-be

Home-Start Glasgow South’s podcast helps prepare dads-to-be for the journey of fatherhood.

“Being Da” podcast creators Joe Wilson (left), on the left, and Doug Marshall (right), (Photo: Courtesy of Doug Marshal)

Home-Start Glasgow South’s Dads coordinators, Doug Marshall and Joe Wilson have launched their new podcast “Being Da’” as an accompaniment to their free antenatal workshop that takes place one Wednesday a month in the New Victoria clinic.

A father of two, Doug Marshall had been working at Home-Start Glasgow South since just before the pandemic. Joe Wilson, also a father of two, joined the organisation in 2022 as a part-time group support worker before taking up the role of coordinator.

The work they do, as set out on the Home-Start Glasgow South Website, is to “help dads-to-be better understand their baby, reduce their own stress, and better support their partner.”

Creating space for discussion

When looking at podcasts online, Doug and Joe noticed that many of them focused on fatherhood post-birth but there were few that supported dads-to-be before the baby’s arrival. Doug and Joe have since released two episodes of their “Being Da’” podcast and hope to create six episodes in total.

In the first episode, Doug and Joe speak about their work with dads, their reaction to their own news of becoming a father, and some of the challenges they overcame.

When asked if it was easy to be honest about their fatherhood experiences, Doug said: “Yes, in a sense. I’m not the perfect father, no one is, and there is no booklet or manual. The idea of making the road while you walk is key to being honest about yourself as a father,” he explained.

Providing a helpful resource

Each week, Joe and Doug plan to have a special guest join them on their podcast in order to share their experiences, and shed some light on some of the trials and tribulations that can happen on the road to becoming a dad.“We’d like them to be able to express themselves a bit more. to engage better with their kids and to grow as a father and as a man,” Dough said when asked what they hoped the audience would get out of their podcasts.

To find a link to the podcast and more info about the support services available, go to: https://homestartglasgowsouth.org.uk/dads-work/