Preparing for Birth – picking your birth partner

Giving birth is quite the occasion, it doesn’t happen very often and lets face it, you aren’t going to be thinking straight no matter how much planning you have put in, as the pain can be a tad distracting.

So it’s really helpful to have a good birth partner, who knows exactly what you want and will fight your corner when you are busy breathing through the pain. It may be that the baby’s dad is the ideal birthing partner. You may have a doula at home to help you out or it may be a friend or another relative who you chose.

It is very important to talk through your birthing plan. You should also talk about what options you would prefer if things may go off plan, as your birth partner will be the person who may need to get explanations from medical staff and voice concerns.

There are practical considerations on the day, you will have packed a hospital bag to bring with you, your birth partner needs one as well. Ladies, much as we try to block it from our minds, labour doesn’t really happen quickly, so your partner needs to bring a few things.  If you are using a birthing pool, you might need them to get in with you.  A change of clothes and some deodorant is always useful. As are comfortable shoes, walking off the contractions may not feel like you are walking a marathon until the next day.

Preparing for the big day is the best way of informing your birth partner of what the options are and how to cope with a straightforward and non straight forward birth. Attending antenatal classes where some time is spent covering helpful tips for birth partners is a really great option as the more confident your birth partner is going in the better they will make you feel.

At The elbowroom’s Preparing for Birth workshop we cover how to be a great birth partner, plus how to labour at home and in the hospital safely, plus much much more.