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If you think standing around in a silent panic attack is all you can do when your partner enters labour, this article is for you.
We get it. It is difficult to think of being productive or feeling useful when your partner’s contractions start to speed up, and you know that her response to your millionth, “Is there anything I can do?” is going to be a killing glare.
But there is something you can do – drive her to the hospital!
Yes. Instead of ordering a cab and sharing this experience with a stranger, how about you start your birthing story with a personalised drive to the hospital?Follow our guide to offering the smoothest labour drive to the hospital, and we promise you that other partners will be lining up to learn from you.
Preparing For The Drive
1. Test Drive
Plan for the event. Account for the anticipated and the unanticipated, such as festivals and other incidents, which could cause roadblocks. Time your rides on alternative routes. Your partner will appreciate a person who is sure of how to get her in time to the hospital.
2. Stay Ready
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Always! The key to soothing the nerves of a woman in labour is to show her that she has everything she needs and that you are the person ensuring that. Don’t wait for her to tell you to pack a hospital bag. Start packing one with everything she would need, and everything that will make her smile. Include items like photos, baby booties, a special gift for the baby sent by the godparents or grandparents, and special items such as her favourite blanket.
3. Learn From The Food Delivery Guys
When your partner hits week 37, that is your cue to start checking that your car is functional, filled with fuel, and packed with everything for the hospital on a daily basis. Check for extra blankets, pillows, and cushions, along with a wrap for your partner, the contents of the hospital bag, fuel levels, a car seat for the baby, baby-on-board signs, phone chargers, and cameras. Petrol station stops and fighting with the hospital parking attendants due to lack of change for parking fees will not be appreciated.
4. Seat And Carpet Covers
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There is going to be mess, and there is no way for you to avoid it. But you can certainly minimise it ahead of time.
Cover the carpet where your partner will be sitting with a water-proof material. Do this ahead of time so that she is not agitated with you delaying her sitting down or moving her legs around to adjust the covering. There is also the possibility that in her agitated state, she will be offended if she finds you protecting the car’s interiors as a priority.
When D-Day Arrives: Once Contractions Start
5. Firstly, Don’t Start Immediately
In the sense that, let your partner’s labour progress in her comfort zone (read: home) for as long as possible. In getting her to the hospital right away, her medical team may not be able to ensure comfort and immediate attention, which is bound to cause her great levels of discomfort. Soothe her and distract her during her initial contractions.
Dos: Make her laugh, dance with her, watch a favourite movie, romance her, talk about how you both got together and how much you want this baby with her.
Don’ts: Have a panic attack, disappear when she needs your support, and call another person unless she specifically asks for them.
6. Time The Contractions
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Generally, medical teams prefer that you arrive when your contractions are 5 minutes apart and begin to last longer, say at least a minute. This would mean that your partner is entering the final stages of labour, and can be attended to right away.
Call your doctor as soon as the contractions start and once again inform them when you will be starting for the hospital. Since you have already planned in advance, your timing of the contractions will be stress-free.
When you are about to start for the hospital, call them and give them a rough estimate of when they can expect you to arrive. Your doctor may be busy with other deliveries, so also inform the receiving team about the frequency of contractions and other medical details so that they can be ready for you.
7. Play Her Music
If you haven’t discussed this between the two of you already, let her choose what radio station she wants to listen to. Thanks to the hormones and the pain, there is a strong possibility that she may change her preference at the last minute. This also goes for the favourite blanket, thermos, cushion and other paraphernalia. Plan, but also be flexible. It is a good idea to get to know where everything around the house is so that last minute changes can be accommodated without too much fuss.
8. Drive Safely
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Yes, she is in the final stages of labour, but that is not an excuse for you to be reckless and break the rules unnecessarily. A heated argument with a cop or another driver is the last thing your partner needs to sit through on the way to the hospital. You have timed your drives and mapped out the best routes, so drive in a relaxed and controlled manner. Remember that your role in being controlled and calm will go a long way in contributing to a smooth and safe drive, and soothing her nerves.
9. Don’t Panic
Sounds like a platitude for sure, but this is key to ensuring that everything else and all your plans go smoothly. Your intimacy will let her know if you are not calm, and may worry her. Tell her she is doing great, and talk about happy moments with her. Talk more about the birth now, and less about the labour and pregnancy concerns. This is also the last drive the two of you may take alone for a while, so make the most of it. Mentally, give yourself a high five for every hour of calm that you get through.
It is not easy, but it can surely be done. The battle for the title of world’s greatest dad starts long before the baby is even born it would seem. Make your partner feel loved and secure, and if ever,this is the time to show her that you are the one she can count on. Plan, check, re-check, and execute should be your mantra for Week 37.
