31 Weeks
How Will You Feel? (Questions taken from The Birth Partner - Penny Simkin)
For a realistic idea of how the situations and feelings you may encounter as a birth partner...
How will I feel when...
- She asks me to take time off to go to prenatal appointments with her?
- She tells me that we are signed up for 12 to 18 hours of child birth classes?
- She asks me to read this book or others?
- During prelabor or early labor, she wakes up moaning every 15 to 20 minutes during the night, and I am very tired?
- She does not accept my suggestions for relaxation or coping?
- I get tired or hungry, but she needs my help with every contraction?
- The nurse is annoying or upsetting her?
- She expresses discouragement ("This is so hard," "I can't keep on," "How much longer?" "Don't make me do this").
- She vomits or needs to vomit?
- She is in pain and begins to cry, grimace, and tense her muscles?
- She criticizes me ("Not like that," "Don't touch me," "Don't breathe in my face," "Don't leave me").
- She tells me, "I want an epidural"?
- She needs me to press hard on her back with every contraction, until my arms ache?
- We are told that a cesarean will be necessary?
- Her caregiver says, "Look here! The baby's head is starting to come"?
- The baby slides out, wrinkled, soaking wet, streaked with blood, and crying?
- I am asked if I want to cut the cord?
- The little squirming bundled baby is handed to me to hold and cuddle?
- The new mother looks at me and says, "I couldn't have done it without you"?
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