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Medical Video: Preparing Your Body for Pregnancy with Dr. Leigh Erin Connealy
The name was ready, the hospital bag was arranged, even the decor of the child's room was as beautiful as the palace. You think everyone is ready to welcome the long-awaited birthday. But is the new dad ready physically and mentally?
The task for future fathers in the labor room is not just as a photographer to hold (or squeeze) by his wife. The aura that you emit while accompanying your wife will have a direct effect on the condition of your baby and mother. Present as a calm, confident, and alert person will help your wife to be more calm during labor from beginning to end.
Relax, there are a number of easy ways to prepare mentally for a new father to face his wife's birth later.
What mental preparation should a new father do before labor?
1. Talk about your concerns with your wife
It is the duty of the husband as the head of the household to be a strong and steadfast figure. But before the delivery day, putting up a macho face without fear will not help your wife much.
If you have a particular concern, confusion, or anxiety about being a new father, speak honestly to your partner. By sharing common sense, both of you can align your views and find a way out of your head with a cold head, and know how to best support one another. When you and your partner know each other's anxiety, you can prepare yourself mentally to deal with changes that occur when your child is born. This can protect you from postpartum depression which can also happen to the father.
2. It's okay to cry
Mothers are not the only people who experience hormone fluctuations during the trip to become parents. Fathers also experience hormones that continue to go up and down, especially decreasing testosterone levels. Suppressing emotions arising from shifting levels of this hormone can cause you to experience symptoms of postpartum depression.
Allow yourself to be as free as possible to really feel all the emotions that appear to be able to start a new sheet. Crying in front of others may be a shame, if you want, you can find a place to be alone and let the tears flow - you can also read or listen to something to arouse your emotions.
3. Exercise to release stress
Sometimes, releasing negative emotions through a session of vent or journal writing is not enough - that garbage may need to be removed through physical activity. Make a list of all the fears you face around the birth of your child, and all areas of your life that will be affected by the birth of a child. Every day, or every other day, choose one fear from the list and exercise. When you run (or bike, or other sporting choices) imagine all your fears drifting with your sweat drops.
4. Practice meditation or breathing exercises
If you are truly anxious and nervous about giving birth, it is important to find a way so you can stay calm. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, focus attention on a happy memory or imagination, then exhale slowly.
You may feel a little awkward to do this, but in the end, you can return to your best condition and become the best support for your wife during childbirth later.
5. Show your support
Mothers who give birth can be overwhelmed by extraordinary panic. And the best person who can turn him back into the real world is you, the husband. You are the one who understands him the most, right?
Once the contraction gets stronger, reassure him that he has done the best he can until this moment, and that you love him. You can also help your partner by compressing ice or wiping sweat from his eyebrows. And although some women may not like being touched during labor, others appreciate gentle swabs on the neck or back.
Labor can be time consuming and boring. You might even spend the whole night just waiting. Distract Adri's wife's stress and nervousness in facing her labor by keeping her busy. Prepare a music player containing his favorite songs, take a casual chat, or invite him to play cards or other board games.
6. Install a thick face
Women who are giving birth can speak spicy words, more than usual, as a way to deal with extraordinary pain. Try not to be taken too much. But if you are really offended, ask the nurse to take care of your wife for a while while you walk out to find fresh air and calm your mind.
7. Be the spokesperson for the wife
Don't wait until your partner is wailing in pain facing a heartbreaking abdominal contraction to find out what help he wants from you. Discuss the birth plan ahead of time - find out how he feels about the episiotomy and expectations or recommendations of his doctor. Exploring all the details of labor will allow you and your partner to discuss all the questions and concerns that you never even thought of.
In this way, "When mothers are in pain, fathers can often understand their needs better and ensure their desires are fulfilled," said Sarah Kilpatrick, professor of OB / GYN at the University of Illinois. Parents.
At the same time, be flexible after labor begins - your partner may change his mind, or the situation may require a new plan of action. "No one wants to have a caesarean birth, but remember that things may not go according to plan," said work nurse Lisa Castillo of the George Washington University Hospital. Still, don't hesitate to ask questions about your choice - especially if your wife is too sick to ask it yourself.
8. Pamper yourself
Maybe you are surprised, why do you have to spoil yourself while your wife is going through a hard ordeal?
Your life will change 180 degrees once the baby is born into the world later. This makes a relaxing coffee or coffee tour around the city just a memory. Taking the time to nurture your own inner well-being before the baby's birth will help you enter the new father's world more steadily.
Finally, know that there are no perfect plans. But give a pat on your own should you have tried your best to help your wife welcome the birth of the baby; then move on knowing that your preparation will not be wasted. The emotional strength that you have built from the beginning will help you a lot later on.
