Offer to assist your partner into comfortable positions where she can lean on you during contractions. Be your partner's advocate. As labor becomes more intense, be sure you are helping her to communicate her wishes and desires to her caregivers. Ask questions if you do not understand a procedure or medical term.
For example, some hospitals may not allow labour partners in the delivery room, while some may make exceptions for female birth partners. Some doctors may permit husbands to stay with their wives throughout labour and birth, but some may ask the dad-to-be to leave when active labour starts.
Help her stay focused and relaxed
For example, suggest position changes or encourage her to find something – such as a breathing pattern, your face, or even a foot rub – to focus on during the contractions, and bring her back to it whenever she starts to think she won't make it.
"Do not complain or act bored (no yawning)," says Carole Arsenault, RN, IBCLC, and author of The Baby Nurse Bible. "I've heard many dads complain about a sore back because they've been standing next to their wives for so long." She adds that the labor experience is completely focused around the one giving birth.
Sitting on a ball
Your partner may sit behind you so that you can lean back into him between contractions, or you may want to lean forward against a bed or other furniture. Also try: sitting cross-legged on the bed or floor.
Because it is a sterile procedure, your family members will be asked to leave the room for about 20 to 30 minutes or until the epidural catheter placement is complete and you are comfortable.
Don't step out to get air or take a break, she isn't getting much in the way of downtime herself. Just be there. Take care of yourself, but make sure your partner is your first priority.
Although healthcare providers recommend you wait to have penetrative sex after childbirth for at least four to six weeks, oral sex is usually fine sooner.
“Fathers' empowerment, intimacy for the couple, closer bonding for parents and baby, and baby benefiting from the microbiome at birth” are all valuable reasons for dads to be present, she says. She agrees, though, that many fathers feel out of their depth and don't understand what they can do to support their partner.
The most important support for mother is the role of the husband, because one of the roles of the husband in the family is to maintain the health of the wife after giving birth, namely by giving love to his wife so that the wife feels cared, accompanying her for health control, encouraging her for nutritious food, ...
Men may give active assistance during childbirth by simply being present during his wife's labor or by coaching during childbirth. Many women find their partners' presence in the delivery room to be comforting.
By and large, by the 1960s, fathers were regularly allowed in the room during labor. By the 70s and 80s, they were allowed to stay for the birth. Today, most do.
A change of clothes
Since you don't know how long your partner will be in labor—or whether you'll get messy if you're involved in the birthing process—it's a good idea to bring an extra outfit. A sweatshirt or throw blanket could also come in handy, since hospital rooms can be a bit chilly.
“…if you do not scream during the pain, it helps you to save the energy so that when it is time you can push but if you scream, you would be exhausted when the time comes for you to push and you might end up with episiotomy” (PP8).
Having a supportive partner during labor can help a person to feel less alone and more safe and comfortable." If you are going to be your partner's support person during labor and delivery, it is important to gather as many tips and suggestions as you can so that you are prepared to help them through the process.
Couvade syndrome or sympathetic pregnancy happens when a pregnant woman's partner has symptoms that uncannily mimic pregnancy. Actually, it's not uncommon for men to have symptoms like constipation, gas, bloating, irritability, weight gain, and nausea while their partner is expecting.
An active father cares about the pregnancy, asks questions of the mother and healthcare provider, and is eager to learn more about the process and what is required for a healthy pregnancy. Further, a father provides physical and emotional support to the woman carrying his child.
Loss of bladder control
After having an epidural, you may not be able to feel when your bladder is full because the epidural affects the surrounding nerves. A catheter may be inserted into your bladder to allow urine to drain away. Your bladder control will return to normal when the epidural wears off.
A Foley catheter (another type of small plastic tube) may be placed in your bladder to drain urine since you won't be able to get up and go to the bathroom. The Foley catheter is placed after the epidural and is usually not uncomfortable. Itching can occur.
The presence of men during their partner's labour produce adrenaline, which makes the woman tense and slows her production of the hormone oxytocin, which is vital for birth, says Odent. "If she can't release oxytocin she can't have effective contractions, and everything becomes more difficult.