Preparing
If this is your first child, you and your partner may find it helpful to attend a prenatal class at a local clinic or hospital. Even if you are already an experienced father, having a birth plan for the pregnancy is always a good idea – not all pregnancies, labors, and births are the same.
You may feel that birth plans are geared more toward the woman. If you're feeling this way, let your partner know that you'd like to be involved in creating a plan that meets the needs of your growing family.
Some things to think about in preparing for a birth:
- Learn to recognize some of the emergency signs in pregnancy. These include vaginal bleeding, high fever, severe stomach pain and decreased movements of the baby. If your partner is in the last trimester and does not feel the baby being active, this could be a sign of danger.
- Labor and delivery is different than what you see on TV. It is not just a few screams and pushes and then out pops a baby. Sometimes labor can last a long time. Think about being a labor coach for your partner. She is going to need all the support and encouragement when her body is in overdrive.
- Think about things that may make your partner comfortable during labor. There are a lot of options for medication, things to keep the mother occupied (such as music), and who has authorization to visit.
- Do you want to be involved in the delivery? Do you want to help cut the cord or be by your partner's side? Planning and writing these down will ensure a smoother delivery process.
- Immediately after the birth, you also have many choices. As the father, do you want to help bathe the baby? Does your partner want the baby back in her room right away? You can help enforce these decisions in the birth plan.
Make sure you and your partner go over the birth plan with your doctor.