What men worry about
Men need help during labour too, but they are often left out of the birth equation. We look at some of their fears and concerns and how to involve partners more... In antenatal classes, some of the most common worries about pregnancy expressed by men are:
Men often have their own worries about the labour and birth too:
Men also enjoy many aspects of the pregnancy and birth. Some of the good things they mention about pregnancy are: knowing you can father a child (you are not firing blanks!); watching your partner’s body growing; the excitement of seeing your baby on the scan; telling everyone that you're expecting a baby; noticing how everyone’s attitude to you changes; planning and thinking about the baby. Positive feelings about the birth include: the relief that it’s all happening at last (pregnancy seems a long time); seeing the baby and knowing he or she is okay; telling everyone about the baby, and finally, becoming a family. Paradoxically, if you and your partner have been trying to have a child for some time, either or both of you might find you are having doubts now it’s finally happening. And while the mother may feel concern for the health of her unborn baby, for many men there is a constant, underlying but often unspoken anxiety about the risks to not one, but two other people for whom they care deeply. Where to next?
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