If you ask my mum she’ll probably tell you that the birth partner’s role is walking up and down the hospital corridor, nervous, smoking (yes, you could smoke in hospitals 44 years ago) waiting for the midwife to come out of the theatre and say “congratulations, it is a boy/girl”
Thank goodness this has changed! And I’m not only talking about smoking in hospitals.
Nowadays 80% of women give birth to their babies in presence of their birth partners, so there is a new motivation of making sure that birth partners are ready to play their roles effectively, being hands-on and useful instead of hopeless participants that bring more anxiety to the room and likely to faint in any minute.
Hypnobirthing provides birth partners all the information they need to become your advocates, they’ll have an active role in pregnancy, labour, birth and beyond
Hypnobirthing partners understand how your birthing body works therefore they’ll be able to assist you in every step.
You’ll practice the hypnobirthing techniques together in pregnancy; this will bring them closer not only to you, but also to your baby. You’ll discuss your birth preferences together, so they’ll know exactly what you want and don’t want for your birth experience.
Your birth partner doesn’t need to be your life partner, you can have your mum, your friend, your sister or any person that you think will be the best companion on such an important day.
Some of the birth partner’s roles in labour and birth are:
-Your only continuity of care.
-Doorkeeper
-Spokesperson
-Trigger of relaxation
-Food and drink provider
-Guardian of the oxytocin
– And over all, your absolute advocates.
Yes, they’ll be very busy being a very important part of the birthing process and this will not only help them to feel useful at birth but to become confident, hands-on parents afterwards if your birth partner is your other half.
I won’t say any of this to my dad because he would never understand it 😉
If you and your partner want to get birth ready, check my hypnobirthing and antenatal courses here
