Podcasts · Modern Wisdom

The Painful Psychological Cost Of Becoming A Dad - Darby Saxbe - #1129

27 Jul 2026 · 1 h 34 min · Episode 1129 · Explicit

Dr Darby Saxbe is a clinical psychologist, professor at USC, and author.

Do dads get postpartum depression? Mothers face enormous physical and emotional changes after childbirth, but fathers can struggle too, often in silence. So what happens to men when they become dads, why does it affect some so deeply, and how can they adapt to a new life that nature has thrust upon them?

Expect to learn what actually happens to dads after moms give birth, the physiological changes that happen to dads after birth, which behaviors create the effect known as “dad brain”, the biggest upsides and downsides of fatherhood for men, why postpartum depression in fathers goes unrecognized, the worst advice dads get, and much more…

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Timestamps:

(0:19) What is Dad Brain? (2:18) How Fatherhood Has Changed Over Time (8:18) What Happens to Men During Pregnancy? (12:57) Should Fathers Be in the Delivery Room? (13:47) Are Sympathetic Pregnancies Real? (15:17) What Couples Should Focus on During Pregnancy (17:56) The Real Cause of Dad Brain (24:18) The Top Behaviours That Trigger Dad Brain (31:31) Biology or Choice: What Makes a “Hands-On” Dad? (33:48) The Truth Behind the Deadbeat Dad Narrative (36:44) Can Fathers Bond at Any Age? (38:50) How Fatherhood Changes Male Hormones (46:44) Why Becoming a Father Is the Ultimate Masculine Role (50:25) Does Dad Brain Get Worse With More Kids? (53:19) How Daughters Change Fathers (1:00:48) Does Housework Ruin Cortisol Recovery? (1:03:43) Do Dads Experience Postpartum Depression? (1:15:29) Why Postpartum Depression Happens in Women (1:18:55) How to Support a Partner Through Postpartum Depression (1:31:09) The Worst Advice New Dads Hear

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• https://shopify.com/modernwisdom
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• https://chriswillx.com/books
• https://neutonic.com/modernwisdom
• https://lnkfi.re/SN-Goggins
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• https://lnkfi.re/SN-Huberman
• https://www.instagram.com/chriswillx
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• https://www.youtube.com/modernwisdompodcast
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