We’ve been told forever that women are the only natural caregivers, but neuroscience shows that’s just not true; men actually go through huge biological shifts when they become dads, too.
Sitting down with Emily for this episode is clinical psychologist Darby Saxbe, who chats to us about her book Dad Brain: The New Science of Fatherhood and How It Shapes Men’s Lives, which challenges neo-traditional assumptions about parenting roles.
Their conversation highlights the biological reality of fatherhood, exploring how men experience hormonal shifts, brain changes, and even paternal postpartum depression.
Darby also uncovers how hands-on parenting trends are shifting across generations, the connection between relationship conflict and a dad’s mental health, and how policy changes like paid paternity leave can transform modern family dynamics.
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Listen and Learn:
- How the modern science of fatherhood rewrites traditional gender roles, why the “Dad Brain” is biologically wired for caregiving, and how millennial and Gen Z fathers are redefining the rewards and divides of modern parenting
- The concept of “facultative adaptation” and how it shapes the natural variability of fatherhood
- How a father’s brain and body prepare for parenthood during pregnancy
- How a couple’s relationship conflict during pregnancy can directly impact the labor and delivery experience
- Why the prenatal period is a critical window for couples to proactively strengthen their communication, navigate relationship shifts, and better manage the stress and emotional toll of childbirth and early parenthood
- The ways postpartum depression manifests in new dads
- How a father’s hormone levels naturally drop after birth and why high testosterone can unexpectedly strain romantic relationships and parenting
- The unique benefits of the father-child relationship
- Why we need to view men’s mental health through a family lens
- How progressive policy shifts are working to empower and destigmatize active fatherhood
Resources:
- Dad Brain: The New Science of Fatherhood and How It Shapes Men’s Lives https://bookshop.org/a/30734/9781250387523
- Darby’s Website: https://www.darbysaxbe.com
- Darby’s Substack: https://darbysaxbe.substack.com
- Connect with Darby on Social Media:
- Behind Every Dad Bod is a Healthy Dad Brain https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/06/opinion/dad-brain-health-fatherhood.html
About Darby Saxbe
Darby Saxbe, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and tenured full professor of psychology at the University of Southern California.
She has published over eighty scientific articles in peer-reviewed journals and secured major research grants from the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation. She earned awards from the American Psychological Association and the Society for Research in Child Development and was a Fulbright fellow. Dr. Saxbe received her PhD in clinical psychology from UCLA and her BA in English and psychology from Yale University.
Her research focuses on the transition to parenthood, particularly the neural and hormonal underpinnings of fatherhood. She integrates neuroscience and psychology to explore how close connections shape health and wellbeing.
When she is not doing research, she hangs out with her husband and two kids, plays guitar in an all-mom indie rock band, and writes the Substack newsletter, Natal Gazing. She was a mediocre contestant on the show Who Wants to Be A Millionaire and recently lost a chili cookoff.
