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I was simply scared to enter the labor room. I was reluctant to leave my husband’s hand and go inside all alone. The pain was unbearable and the idea that I have to deliver the baby among strangers was making things tougher for me. Then I looked at my husband askingly, just like a child looks at her parents when leaving them and going to school.
Probably, he read my thoughts. He told the doctor that he will accompany me inside. God bless him for this decision, because he gave me solace amidst that writhing pain. After that, my pain reached new heights, and my screams new decibels. But my husband was steadfast, and he did everything he could to help me deliver the baby.
Dear men, staying beside your partner during labor gives her strength and confidence. But it is not easy for you to be there as a witness to childbirth. You need to be prepared for that day, just like your wife does. Here are a few tips to help you in the process of preparation:
- Do your research: Read up all the information you can about normal and caesarean delivery. Knowing the various phases of labor and other details post delivery will give you a perspective and help you support your partner. Talk to the doctor in advance about the delivery method, how to handle any changes in the last minute, and what to do if the water breaks.
- Keep your cool: Don’t get terrified seeing your wife in labor or pace up and down the labor room. Relax and keep your calm. Your wife will get a ton of strength seeing you composed. If you find it really hard to see your wife in labor, take a break, but don’t abandon her.
- Be patient: Don’t rush her to the hospital as soon as she gets her pains. Labor is a lengthy process and happens in phases. As long as the pain is bearable and the time between each contraction is lesser, you can let her stick around at home, walk, or just take a nap.
- Help her in pushing: There would be enough people around your wife (nurses and doctors) asking her to push. But when she has you on her side, watching you help her push, it would be a different experience. Make sure you don’t interfere with the nurses or the doctor, though.
- Support her: Going through labor is one of the toughest and painful things a woman goes through in her journey of motherhood. This is when you show your support. Hold her hand, rub her back, or just count the second of each contraction. This may not lessen the pain, but it will help her mentally through the phase.
- Be mentally prepared: Be ready for the journey of fatherhood right from labor. Focus and go with the flow. A stable mind will help you focus and think clearly of what’s required for the situation.
- Live the big moment: After that excruciating labor, your baby is finally born! So enjoy the big moment. The entire effort that you and your wife have gone through, living in moments of physical pain, makes all that effort worthwhile now.
Remember, things might not go as per plan, so be prepared to act quickly and adapt to the change.
Once the baby arrives, you and your partner feel relaxed. But wait, all’s not over yet. The real parenting starts now – sleepless nights, changing diapers, wailing babies, and so much more. Parenting is an art that is learnt best while on the job. All of us get there eventually.
Do you have any labor and delivery tips for fathers-to-be? Let us know by commenting below.
