Making Babies: The Partner’s Role

We spend the majority of our time during this conversation every week, Shane, talking about all of the different things that...

the women need to do, have to do, should do, shouldn't do in terms of their pregnancy journey.

You're here today to talk about the partners, though.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Often forgotten.

Yeah.

But very important.

And there's not that much written about the partner's role in pregnancy.

And I use the term pregnancy because it's not just about labour.

I see partners now, and I've seen it over my career more and more, that they're involved really from the word go.

They come to all the antenatal visits.

They're as excited about the scans.

They really take an active part.

They participate in the classes that patients do.

So they really are more and more involved.

And I think that's a good thing.

I think it's a great thing, in fact.

But they have a pivotal role to play in and around labour and delivery.

They really are there as perhaps the most important support person to the patient in labour.

They know them best.

And they're there to provide physical support.

If they're looking to move around the room, they're there to provide emotional, psychological support, which is crucial.

But they're also there to advocate on behalf of the patient.

Sometimes the patient might be distressed with pains.

And who better to advocate for them than their partner? And I think that's a critical role that's often forgotten.