Through sickness and health…
This statement doesn’t always include the delivery room. Labor can bring about major feels for your partner. While they are not the one birthing, we cannot discount that this experience is complex and emotionally driven. The atmosphere may be extremely difficult to navigate and may cause your partner anxiety.
While we have chosen our partner to support us throughout our life, they may not be well equipped to be our “rock” during labor.
Our expectations of them alone, may be enough to send them into a tail spin.
Remaining objective and focused may become impossible for your partner being that they are so emotionally involved. Anxiety can show itself in many ways with the partner. Some partners mentally check out, some faint at the first sight of “fluid”, while others go into control mode making it near impossible for the clinical staff to do their job.
So, if the possibility of panic is more of a probability, add a Labor Doula to your birth team. Anxiety is a major enemy of labor and can be highly contagious. The presence of an anxious partner may spike the creation of adrenaline in the birthing partner, shutting down the labor process or elongating it. A calm and nurturing environment is the ultimate goal for the delivery room.
A doula will never replace the loving attention of your soulmate, they can actually guarantee it, increasing the flow of oxytocin and reducing unwanted partner anxiety.
Labor doulas provide support to both partners, not just mothers. The doula tends to everyone’s needs of rest, hydration and education. That way the couple can maintain focus on each other, assuring that they stay attuned to one another.
Just knowing that the birthing partner is being emotionally, and physically supported will lessen stress and absolve partner anxiety.
Thinking of adding a doula to your support team? We find having a doula can help reduce partner anxiety and promote a more calm and nurturing birthing environment. Contact Uptown Doula for your free consultation.
