Husband accompanying his wife giving birth is an important thing to do. In addition to making the wife calmer, the presence of the husband can make the wife more prepared for childbirth. Thus, the process becomes smoother and the baby can be born healthy.
Having a companion when giving birth can help pregnant women go through labor. There are several studies that state that being accompanied by a companion before delivery, pregnant women will feel calmer and more comfortable, and go through the delivery process more smoothly.
Benefits of Husband Accompanying Wife in Childbirth
Ahead of labor, the feeling of happiness can be felt more when you and your wife together welcome the baby who will soon be born. This is one of the reasons why you should accompany your wife when she is about to give birth.
However, if you are absent, your wife can be accompanied by other closest people, such as mother, relatives, or maybe close friends. However, there are many benefits that can be obtained when you accompany your wife before giving birth, including:
Support your wife physically and emotionally
When you feel afraid and have difficulty dealing with childbirth, you can relieve your wife's complaints by massaging her or helping her get a comfortable position while lying in bed.
Not only that, emotional support from you can also ease your wife's pain during childbirth. From an emotional point of view, your wife will certainly be helped by your presence and support, such as being given motivation and words of encouragement.
With this support, the wife will feel cared for and more enthusiastic about fighting the pain.
Helping the wife convey something to the doctor
When facing labor, your wife will feel pain and discomfort, especially when the uterine contractions feel tighter. This can make it difficult to speak because of the pain.
When you feel this way, you can help your wife to explain her complaint to the midwife or doctor who wants to help with the delivery process.
Remind the wife to be calmer
During your pregnancy, you and your wife may have learned various things about childbirth or taken antenatal classes. However, when the labor process has started, the wife may feel panicked or nervous.
This is where your role is to accompany and remind your wife to stay calm. When you see your wife in pain, you can remind her to catch her breath and try to calm down.
Tips for Preparing Yourself as a Childbirth Assistant
The husband's role is so great in accompanying his wife who is about to give birth. However, not a few husbands feel they are not ready to accompany their wives when they give birth.
The following are some things that you can prepare when you want to accompany your wife who will face the birth process:
1. Prepare clothes and other equipment
By the day of delivery, you should prepare various things, such as hospital documents, clean clothes, toiletries, and baby necessities, including diapers and baby clothes.
As much as possible you have collected them in one bag, so that it is more practical and no items are left behind when the wife must be immediately taken to the hospital or maternity clinic.
2. Looking for accurate information about the birth process
Not only is it important for your pregnant wife to know, you also need to learn and get the right information about childbirth.
This information can be obtained by asking the doctor or midwife when accompanying the wife during routine pregnancy checkups, looking for information on trusted sites, and reading books about tips and the birth process.
Armed with this information, you will be more reliable in accompanying your wife who is about to give birth.
3. Try to be more patient and empathetic towards your wife
During pregnancy and before delivery, your wife will feel various complaints, ranging from discomfort to unstable emotions and moods.
As a good husband, try to understand your wife's condition and be patient. Always provide support, for example by offering a massage to the wife and buying or preparing the food she wants.
Ask your wife to express how she feels and establish good communication so that this difficult time can be faced together.
4. Realize your limits and don't push yourself
The husband's role in accompanying his wife during pregnancy and childbirth is indeed important. However, there are husbands who are not mentally strong when accompanying their wives giving birth, for example because of fear or phobia of blood.
If you are afraid to see blood, don't be discouraged yet. Ask your wife to understand and remind her that you will still support and wait outside the delivery room or operating room until the baby is born.
Giving birth accompanied by a husband can reduce the mental burden of the wife. This can make the delivery process run more smoothly. Therefore, when your wife is about to give birth, try to accompany her so that she feels stronger and more comfortable.
If you are still in doubt about what things your husband should do when accompanying his wife giving birth, don't hesitate to ask a doctor during a pregnancy checkup.
