Re: Being there for the Birth.
I haven't read any of the responses yet. I was present for the birth of both of my children, and not being there in this day and age is pretty bad IMO (unless you have to be away from the area, like you are on deployment or something.)
One big point: You don't have to look at the actual birth. I really didn't. "Do you want to see this?!!" "Not really." I just stayed by the upper half of my wife and held her hand and said whatever the hell it is you say in those situations to try to be comforting. If you do that you really cannot see the birth part.
When the baby is first born they get reasonably cleaned up right away iirc. That is they get wiped down immediately and it isn't bad at all. They will probably ask you to cut the cord, but that is no biggie, you still don't have to look at the birthing area and it is like a ribbon cutting ceremony almost. You can also say no here too, but it really isn't much of an issue.
It really is not that traumatic unless you are squeemish beyoned belief. I am kinda of squeemish when it comes to other people's misery (my own doesn't get to me that much) and I didn't have any problem with it. There was no crazy screaming, no "YOU DID THIS TO ME!," just maybe a "Damn right I am ready for my epidural!"
The whole process leading up to the birth takes several hours. People come in every so often but for the most part it is just you and your wife waiting. The birth portion varies, but the intense part is really only several minutes iirc, and again, not bad at all if you just don't look at vaginal area, and it is easy not to because they have something blocking the view. Then you get to hold your baby who is less than a minute old, that part is pretty damn cool.
Oh, here is one tip: nurses will change the diapers while you were still there. For the first day or two after birth, a baby's poo is like tar. Don't think "Well, I may as well get some practice changing stinkies" because they are far worse for that first day or two.
Cliff's notes: Man up and go, it isn't that bad and you are shielded from the potentially disturbing stuff if you want to be. (Hell it may not have been that bad but I didn't watch that part.)
|