Preparing your birth partner for labour and birth, what to do?

Preparing your birth partner for labour and birth:

Let’s chat about labour and birth preparation, not for mum today, but for your birth partner. Whether that’s your spouse, mother, friend or sister you want them to be educated and able to support you through one of the most life-changing events (for you AND them). 

I’m sure you have heard the saying, “knowledge is power”. This rings truer than ever once you become pregnant and learn to navigate a series of choices that affect not just you, but your baby as well. 

You can also download my FREE ‘Am I in labour’ checklist here, that you and your partner can work through when the time comes!

Having a supportive birth partner leads to better outcomes for mother and baby including higher rates of birth satisfaction. So, how can we make sure that your birth partner is on the same page as you?

Some great ways for a birth partner to become involved during pregnancy and to be the ultimate support to you and your baby throughout the whole journey include: 

• Talk to couples who have recently had babies, find out what worked for them 

• Watch Youtube videos of positive births together 

• You and your birth partner attend antenatal appointments with your midwife

• You both attend antenatal classes, breastfeeding classes, new parent classes, etc. 

• Read some of the incredible childbirth books on the market, continue educating and preparing together

• Get your birth partner to also connect with baby through talking, feeling the baby move, reading to baby and attending ultrasound appointments 

• Lastly, one of the most important. Have meaningful and open conversations together about expectations, connecting and a ‘birth plan’

The benefits of writing a birth plan with your partner, isn't actually about mapping out the exact birth (this can never be predicted), but it is the process it takes you on of educating yourself around what you want if you need to choose. Having your birth partner involved in this process is important so you can openly learn and they become an advocate for your choices if need be.

Something that can be very tricky for birth partners, especially spouses is knowing that labour and birth is ‘positive pain’.

Meaning that in order to support someone through this process, you must first come to realize that labour is a positive experience, leading to an incredible outcome (yay for gorgeous little babies!). 

Labour and birth isn’t all so serious, make it fun, after all this is an incredibly life-altering experience for you both! 

Some amazing research on the importance of having a supportive birth partner: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3607858/

Incredible photographer, @home_grown_photography Amazing Mama @justinezampogna