Alright, guys, listen up. When she's in labor, she's at her most vulnerable. She doesn't want to see you doing nothing or, worse, messing around on your phone. She wants your attention because it makes her feel safe. It's that simple.
Here's the deal: be there completely. Show her you get how tough this is for her, and that you’ve got her back. Your attention shows you're looking out for her. You don’t need a degree in obstetrics to be useful. Here’s a quick list of what you can do:
Hydrate: Make sure she’s drinking water.
Bathroom Breaks: Help her to the bathroom.
Snacks: Offer food to keep her energy up.
Time Contractions: Track her contractions.
Paperwork: Handle the hospital paperwork.
Compliments: Tell her she looks beautiful.
Physical Support: Hold her, keep her hair out of her face, scratch her back.
Stick Around: Don't bail, no matter what.
Stay Awake: Labor can be long and you might need to nap, but keep it quick. Sleeping feels like you're abandoning her.
Communicating: Take care of texting or calling family members with important updates
If she’s not into something you’re doing, don’t take it personally. She’s doing something insanely hard and might not know what she needs right away. Stay with her, figure it out together, and be her teammate. She'll handle this better with you right there.
No matter what kind of birth you're planning, your plan should be to be involved and attentive. That looks the same across the board. Whatever she's going through, it's going to be new and strange, and knowing someone cares makes a difference.
Stay focused, stay supportive. Don’t screw it up.
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