Top tips for supporting your partner through labour and birth from a professional birth companion. 

 

Want to know how to support your partner?

Are you worried about doing the right thing, or the wrong thing?

Want to know the best massage points?

And how to support her in early labour and if/when you go into hospital?

 

Many birth partners feel a bit lost. It can be daunting to support a woman in labour. I know. I am a doula, which is a paid birth companion. Over the years I have developed techniques, and have learnt what works.

 

Many birth partners feel they are best just keeping out of the way, letting the midwives get on with it, after all what can they do, they are just there.  

 

Being there is THE most important thing you can do. You are her rock.  Your presence is more than just reassuring. The two things women need for labour to progress is safety and love. Your presence gives her both. 

 

After the woman, you are the next most important person in the birth room, not just because it might be your baby too (this workshop is for all birth partners, not just life partners), but also because your presence, your words, your touch, helps the birth to go as smoothly as possible. Midwives and doctors are great to monitor and support if help is needed, but they are not essential. Women can, and do, give birth without them. But what is needed is oxytocin. Oxytocin is the love hormone. Oxytocin makes the uterus contract. Endorphins are also released and they reduce the pain, triggering the release of more oxytocin, allowing labour to go up a gear. Oxytocin and endorphins are only released when the body feels safe and secure. It makes sense, we are mammals. Don't want to give birth if there's a tiger around. You help her to feel safe and secure. That's why you are so important.

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Birth is an incredible act of physical and chemical engineering. Understand that and you will know what you can do to help the process. 

In this workshop I'll share some simple tips to help you both have a great experience. These tips will cover the practical, such as simple environment changes, and the scientific, such as things that increase the birth hormones. 

 

Plus some tips for working with midwives and doctors to have a positive experience.

 

The workshop will be on Zoom.  

 

This workshop is one of a series of Wednesday Workshops on birth and parenting topics. The more you book, the less you pay.