There's a lot of information out there for mamas-to-be to help them as they prepare for the miracle of child birth— and understandably so. Childbirth is quite likely the most emotionally challenging and hardest physical work of a woman's life. Seriously, it's no joke,.
And one thing that can make it go a whole lot smoother is having a really amazing birth partner to hold your hand through the process. A caring and in tune father-to-be can play a huge role in a positive birthing experience, no matter the outcome. Bu, in order to be the birth partner that she needs it's important to prepare, so we turned to real dads to get their best tips on how to be an awesome birth partner. Here's what they had to say!
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"Whatever you do, don't tell her she doesn't need drugs!" – Noel
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"Her body is designed to do the work that women have been doing for thousands and thousands of years. She can take care of the baby and your most important job is to take care of her. Hold her up and support her in every way you can and tell her that's she's doing great." – Tim
RELATED: What Women Really Want to Hear During Labor
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"Learn the hip squeeze! It really helped my wife to get through contractions." – Easton
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"Make sure to ask what she wants ahead of time. Talk about the details of her birth plan so you can advocate for her during labor, since it will probably be hard to advocate for herself when she's in pain." – Ben
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"Do work, son. Your lady has been through a lot already with pregnancy and now she has to push out a baby. Be attentive to her needs during the process and make it happen. Whether that's with ice chips or putting pressure on her back during contractions or just shutting up so she can focus." – Chris
Don't get offended if she doesn't respond well to your encouraging words or touch during labor.
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"Your wife will probably poop on the table. It really isn't a big deal. Get over it." – Andrew
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"Don't get offended if she doesn't respond well to your encouraging words or touch during labor. Some women can't stand being touched when they're in labor—my wife was one of them. You'll figure out pretty quick how she deals with pain." – Stephen
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"A few weeks before going into labor, my wife gave me this tip. She told me that even though she appreciates my positive attitude in most situations, during labor I should avoid saying the phrase 'You're OK' because she said I would have no clue what it felt like or if she was actually doing OK and it would just piss her off." – Tyler
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"Be engaged during labor. Even if she doesn't want to be touched or talked to, she still wants you there. Your presence is important." – Jake
RELATED: 8 Birthing Myths We Need to Forget
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"Don't , I repeat, DON'T talk to her or ask questions during a contraction. They only last for a minute. Whatever you want to say can wait for 60 seconds." – Jon
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"Make sure to rest in between contractions with your wife and to eat and drink yourself. Your wife is obviously doing the hardest work, but being a good birth partner can be unexpectedly exhausting too." – Andy
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"Be ready to roll with the punches. Birth is different each time and for each woman. She may change her mind about certain things or things may not go as you had hoped. Learn to be adaptable to whatever comes your way, because the only predictable thing about birth is that it's unpredictable." – Nate
