What Not To Do In The Delivery Room: A Guide For Dads Listen up, daddies-to-be: When it comes to…

What Not To Do In The Delivery Room: A Guide For Dads

Listen up, daddies-to-be: When it comes to delivery room etiquette, the mama gets to make the rules. You don’t have to agree with them. Just accept them.

DON’T: Go to sleep.

My husband took a NAP...and to make matters worse, SNORED!!

DO: Push through it.

Yep, labor is likely to be exhausting to you too. But, hey — you stayed up 48 hours straight in college, and you can do it again now.

DON’T: Forget the camera.

He left both cameras in the car. Our daughter’s first moments are recorded on his iPhone.

DO: Use it wisely.

Discuss paparazzi privileges with your partner in advance. Some women are cool with being photographed in labor, and others want only “after” pics.

DON’T: Lose it.

He turned white and the nurse had to stop helping me to get him get to a chair, and she took the oxygen off of me and gave it to him!

DO: Prepare.

Go to childbirth class, and keep your eyes open during the videos. Read up on delivery. Learn about the stages of labor.

DON’T: Leave your ringer on.

He was taking calls from work while I was pushing!!!

DO: Forget the phone.

If your partner agrees, go ahead and send out a general update or two to the fam, but keep it to a minimum. And once pushing begins, turn that sucker off.

DON’T: Whine.

During pushing, he put my leg down and stretched, saying his arms were getting sore. Are you kidding me?

DO: Zip it.

This is one time where your lady has every right to any pity that’s going around. Whether you’ve got a paper cut, a sprained ankle, or a dislocated hip…the one pushing out a baby wins.

DON’T: Stare at the flat-screen.

Before I started pushing, he was watching basketball on the TV in the labor room.

DO: Help her focus.

Childbirth educators stress the importance of support and touch in labor — it can even help things progress more quickly and smoothly! keep eye contact with her — not the TV

#birthpartner #dad #fatherhood #fathertobe