While this might seem like something for your wife to do, it’s important that you, as a supporting cast member, be very involved in making the decisions now on how labor and delivery will unfold.
Some decisions must be your wife’s alone, like whether to have an epidural or allow for an episiotomy, and in those cases, your role is to be supportive of her decision. But there are other decisions that may even fall uniquely to you as well.
Do you want to “catch” the baby as he comes out? Do you want to cut the umbilical cord (sometimes also an option for mom)? Some of these questions will be easier than others, but consider: Will you allow the staff to provide formula milk, which may interfere with the start of breastfeeding? Do you want your new baby to lie on mommy’s chest as soon as possible after birth? Will you allow videos or photos taken during delivery? It is very important that you and mom-to-be write all these decisions down and discuss them openly so there is no difference of opinion in the delivery room, either with the hospital staff, and especially between you and your partner.
Make sure to provide a copy of this plan to your doctor and bring one to the hospital to put in your records.
A sample birthplan can be found at www.birthplan.com.
Are you kidding? Listen men, in the delivery room there is no decision that falls uniquely on the dad/man. Why would you even say that. Listen men, the woman decides all of the above things. We can’t catch the baby or cut the chord if she does not want us ro. She may not even want you to look at her private area. And yes she can keep us from looking if she wants to.The delivery room is not our domain. Don’t even suggest this and put these wrong ideas in men’s heads. We basically can not have any say in the delivery room. When we carry and spread our legs to deliver a baby, then we can make the decisions. We cannot control everything in the world. Let the women have the delivery room and other woman/girl stuff.