Features of partner childbirth. Pros and cons of joint labor with her husband

More and more women and men prefer not to limit the participation of men in the birth of a child by the presence at conception. Increasingly couples are choosing affiliate childbirth. In this article, we will tell you how a partner can be useful in a maternity hospital, when a man should not be taken to childbirth, how to prepare for joint childbirth, and also look at the pros and cons.

Affiliate childbirth is called childbirth, which takes place in the presence of a partner, and not only the woman in labor, but her close person also takes direct part in giving birth to the woman and the medical staff.

Partnership childbirth was widely adopted recently, the fashion to go to the maternity hospital together came to Russia from the West. However, childbirth with the presence of a partner has a very rich history, and they did not appear several decades ago.

Prior to the Middle Ages and during this historical period, many nations rejected the sufferings of women in labor, not wanting to either participate in them or to observe. In many tribes of Africa, Asia, a woman in labor was expelled from the village when the birth began, and allowed her to return home only when the child is born. Some peoples had different attitudes towards childbirth: a woman gave birth in public, the whole village became the audience, but none of the villagers participated in the obstetric aid, did not help the baby to be born, and did not alleviate the sufferings of the woman giving birth.

A little later, the meaning of husband and father became more clearly outlined in society. Protection and security - exactly what the husband had to give his girlfriend giving birth. Men began to be involved in this process, and in some nations, for example, in Polynesia, the men themselves took birth from their partners, cut the umbilical cord and washed the baby.

Time passed and the midwives appeared - specially trained women who took delivery. All the "draft" work by men was immediately shifted onto their shoulders, but many continued to be present at the birth of their child and as far as possible to assist the midwives.

Most Russian men preferred not to enter the room where a woman gives birth, but they were surely nearby. If childbirth was delayed, it was the husband who was instructed by tradition to pray to God as hard as possible. At the same time, Orthodox traditions imply that the husband of the woman in labor during childbirth, and shortly before them, begins to fast on an unplanned basis so that his prayers are heard.

The concept of modern joint labor was formulated by the World Health Organization in 1985. All physicians were advised to allow a partner or family members to participate in childbirth. This is due to the psychological comfort of the mother. When a woman is calmer, she is more relaxed. Relaxation, in turn, leads to a reduction in pain, faster cervical dilatation and a reduction in the duration of the labor process.

WHO recommendations on obstetric care do not clearly indicate that the time of labor, if a person is near and dear, is reduced by about a third for the woman in childbirth.It is these recommendations that form the basis for the organization of partner childbirth throughout the world.

Many couples misinterpret the very notion of “joint labor”. They are called such not because they are present in the clan woman with her husband, but because in this case the husband ceases to be a removed “support group” and becomes an assistant, a participant. In other words, a man comes to the hospital not in order to stand aside and see how his heir is born, but in order to help his woman to bear birth pain easier.

And because the answer to the question, and what, in fact, a man to do in the hospital, is quite multifaceted. A man’s labor in a maternity hospital can be very, very much.

• Support spouse, talk to her, distract her from fear, panic and dark thoughts.
• Help in fights - to massage the sacral area, back, shoulder girdle in the intervals between contractions. This greatly eases the contractions themselves, reduces pain.

• Create an atmosphere of family, comfort. The psychological state of a woman, especially giving birth for the first time, in an unfamiliar environment with strangers (doctors and midwives) does not contribute to relaxation, and therefore childbirth takes longer and is more painful.
• To be a messenger and intermediary - Doctors do not always stand at the bed of the woman in labor, and therefore the presence of a relative next to her can be very useful. You can send your husband to a doctor or midwife if the woman feels unwell or her condition suddenly changes.
• "Translate" from the doctor to the native language - such participation is often useful in the process of attempts. At the height of childbirth, a woman may not always take the obstetrician’s command from the first time, in this case the husband standing at the head of the head can not only hold the woman in the arms, but also repeat the commands of the doctor or midwife for her. It has been proven that commands given in a familiar and familiar voice are perceived much better and faster even in the heat of passion.
• Provide attention to the newborn from the first minutes of his life. Dads are allowed to stand at the table where the baby is weighed after the birth, washed, and even hold it by the handle. At this time, the woman is engaged in an obstetric team - the placenta is born, it is possible that sutures are applied to the perineum. Pediatricians believe that the early presence in the life of a child of a loved one is felt intuitively tiny, the baby is more calm, which contributes to its more rapid adaptation.

Humorists tell jokes about men's fainting in the delivery room and put on jokes. In practice, this can really happen, but only when a man was not morally or physically ready to take part in childbirth, if he simply does not understand why he even gave his consent to partner labor and what he is doing here. In addition, the future father must be very impressionable, afraid of blood and automatically lose the will at the sight of a doctor in a dressing gown and a mask. This man really has nothing to do in the generic.

Joint childbirth can be mutually beneficial, because the presence of a partner whom a woman trusts entirely, ultimately becomes a benefit for everyone, including medical personnel. It has long been noted that the level of conflict between physicians, patients and their relatives is markedly reduced if someone from their relatives takes part in labor.

Joint births increase not only the level of confidence of the woman in labor, but, oddly enough, the self-esteem of the man. Men love to be useful and necessary to their partners, and where, like in childbirth, you can show all your best qualities!

Preparing for childbirth, in which not only the expectant mother but also the expectant father is involved, unites the family, allows the man to feel responsible. As a result, paternal feelings come earlier. Father's instinct is not regulated by hormones or other factors of internal origin, as it happens in women. Therefore, attending courses with your wife will be a great way to speed up the process of realizing yourself as a father.

The undoubted plus lies in the fact that the man will provide additional control. This is especially true of surgical birth if the woman is under anesthesia. He can trace the actions of the medical staff while the spouse is unconscious, check that the child and the spouse are provided with proper care.

From the newly-made dad there can be one more important benefit - he can capture the first seconds of life of the baby on video or photo, then these frames will be sure to decorate the family album.

Cons of childbirth can be a lack of knowledge and understanding of what is happening partner. If a man does not understand the essence of contractions or attempts, does not know how and how he can help in different periods of labor, then there will be little benefit from him in the birth chamber. Also, joint childbirth - not the best choice, if the spouses have difficulties in the relationship, there is no adequate level of trust in each other.

It is widely believed that affiliate childbirth will definitely leave its mark on the relationship of the spouses in the future, and this is true. That's just the imprint can be both positive and negative. And in advance it is absolutely impossible to predict what will happen next in fact.

If the spouses are not morally prepared for partner childbirth, a certain mutual awkwardness is not excluded.. Women who always try to look good in front of their husband can become distracted from the process and worry about how they look at the moment. Men who are used to the fact that the wife always looks great may not be ready for the fact that the spouse will not appear in the most representative form in the birth chamber.

The most compelling adversary of childbirth together is the possibility of a subsequent reduction in sexual desire for his wife. In practice, this is not excluded, but it does not occur as often as the man who is present at childbirth cannot see the process of childbirth directly. He stands at the head of the head, and what happens between the legs, only the obstetrician sees, he occupies this place throughout the entire pouzhnogo period and after it.

The opinion of psychologists on this subject, as the opinion of the spouses themselves, is ambiguous. Some experts argue that joint experiences unite the husband and wife, make the relationship between them more trusting and open, others tend to believe that a man has no place in the labor hall, because a woman should remain a bit mysterious for him.

Another aspect on which experts in the field of psychology pay attention is a possible complex of guilt with a partner. It can be formed due to the fact that during childbirth a man cannot significantly ease the painful sensations, help his woman to give birth quickly and painlessly. The male psyche is quite vulnerable, especially in situations where they want to help, but are powerless to do so.

Joint preparatory preparation for partner childbirth, if such a decision is well thought out by the couple and made, should begin with attending courses. They work with every female consultation. From the very first joint activities, the spouses will be able to better understand whether they still want to end up together in the delivery room. In the courses, a woman and her partner will be taught to interact in childbirth. The future mother will be taught to breathe properly for natural anesthesia, and the man to control this breathing, massage the lower back and the sacrum, and also show poses in which it will be easier for a woman to endure contractions. For joint labor, there is a special system of auxiliary postures in which both partners are involved.

At the second stage of preparation, the couple chooses a maternity hospital, turns there for advice and a list of tests that need to be taken by a man. In individual medical institutions, the requirements for examinations of men may differ, but in general, the list of studies is recommended by the Ministry of Health. It includes:

• blood test for HIV status;
• blood test for hepatitis B, C;
• blood test for syphilis;
• fluorography with a description.

Joint deliveries are as follows.

• During the preliminary planned hospitalization, the woman goes to the hospital. The man is told that the birth has begun, by telephone, and he comes with the necessary things and documents to the emergency department.
• In case of emergency hospitalization, the partner may come to the hospital at the same time as the woman in labor.
• A woman is accepted, escorted to the sanitary room, draw up documents. A man is recommended to change into the change of clothes he brought with him, change his shoes, put on a disposable gown, a headdress (disposable hat) and a medical mask and escort him to a separate ancestral chamber, where his spouse will later be brought.
• In the first stage of labor, while there are contractions, the partners are in the ward together. They breathe, do massage, take the necessary postures for relief. From time to time, an obstetrician or a doctor visits them and assesses the degree of cervical dilatation.

• In the second stage of labor, a woman is transferred to rodzal. A man at this stage may not be allowed there if there are still women giving birth in it, if the medical institution does not have a separate room for partner deliveries. If there is an opportunity to be present at attempts, the man can quite come in and support his wife.
• After giving birth, his mom and dad are shown. Then the father can leave the spouse for a while and stay with the child while he is being washed, processed, weighed and measured.
• After giving birth, a woman and a baby, in the absence of contraindications and complications, are transferred to a separate ward, where the father can also be present and help the tired wife to care for the crumbs. This is especially important on the first day, when it is very difficult for the woman to provide the newborn with proper care.
• For caesarean section, it is very rarely allowed to be present in the operating room. In most cases, the man is in the preoperative room and watches what is happening through the glass window. Baby dad will submit immediately after the appearance of the crumbs into the world.

What a partner needs to know is not so difficult to understand. First, the mechanism of childbirth and the main stages in order to understand which of them is the woman at the moment. You should also prepare a husband in advance and let him read the memo on childbirth.

• A partner must express with his whole appearance that everything is going on not just normal, but excellent.Even if he himself is confused and does not understand too much what is really happening, the man should not show the mind.
• You need to be ready to measure contractions, duration and intervals between them. You need to understand what the duration precedes the period, as well as be ready to call the doctor in time.
• You have to be ready to fulfill any request of a woman - hold her hand, stay for her with support for vertical hanging, give her water, a napkin, a scarf, bring a gymnastic ball if it is easier for her to fight, etc. The request of the woman in labor is the law.
• To drive my wife to the toilet every hour, even if she does not want to go there. Emptying the bladder significantly reduces pain.
• You must be ready to cut the umbilical cord if the obstetrician offers to do this under medical supervision. Sometimes this honorable mission is entrusted to newly-made fathers.
• You need to be prepared for the fact that at the last moment they will not allow delivery due to quarantine in the hospital or a banal cold from the future pope.

The possibility and order of partner childbirth are provided for by the methodological letter of the Ministry of Health No. 15-4 / 10 / 2-6796 of July 13, 2011. Also, a lot of useful information can be found in the Federal Law on the Basics of Health Protection. The guidelines encourage physicians in maternity hospitals and perinatal centers to support partner labor. In this case, according to the law, any close person can be considered a partner, it is not necessary to have a marriage certificate. You can give birth at the preliminary request with your mother, friend, sister. If the partner at the same time provides all the necessary tests, then he can be allowed to participate in childbirth.

Also, the documents mentioned above regulate the cost of the service. According to Article 64 of the Family Code of the Russian Federation, as well as the Federal Law on the Basics of Health Protection, the medical institution has no right to charge for joint deliveries. Of course, this requirement applies only to delivery under the OMS policy. If the couple chose a private maternity hospital, a paid clinic with which they signed a contract for the provision of medical services, then they will have to pay in accordance with the approved list of the cost of services in this medical institution. The cost is voiced before the signing of the contract and in most cases is paid before the birth.

The legislation also provides for situations in which physicians can legitimately refuse to give up partnership deliveries. These include the inconsistency of the partner’s state of health, the absence of ready-made tests, the introduction of quarantine, the absence of a situation acceptable for partner births (separate ancestral, separate antenatal chambers, separate chambers of postpartum stay).

According to reviews of women in childbirth, the husband in most cases can be very useful in the hospital, but the main thing that he does is gives the woman a feeling of support, and she is very grateful to him for that. Reviews of men are different. Some claim that they do not regret at all that they went with their wife to give birth, others insist that they are more “in this institution with their feet”. The positive experience, the men write, didn’t change their attitude towards their wives at all, and the sexual attraction was not lost, no matter what those who are against the partner childbirth say in principle.

Men, who assess their experience of joint labor as negative, claim that they turned out to be completely unprepared for what will actually happen, despite the courses, seminars and trainings that they attended with their wives before the onset of labor. The reality turned out to be much worse, but the hardest was to feel its own impotence, because to help my wife by and large could not.

What is joint labor? What are the prerequisites for successful joint delivery? Can a joint birth affect the subsequent relationship between the spouses? Dr. Komarovsky will answer all these questions.