My DH is really into the 'science' of things and really wants to be able to watch everything that's going on during birth (provided we're lucky enough to have a vaginal birth!). He actually wants to 'catch' Baby if possible!
Not totally sure how I feel about it... I mean if he is OK with it then it could be a really amazing thing to know that he was the first hands to touch our Baby but at the same time, I have heard other Men comment that they could "never look at their wives the same way" if they were to be that up close and personal with what was happening.
How does your DH/SO feel about looking 'down below' during birth? How do you feel about it?
Re: How hands on will DH be?
I jokingly asked my husband about this. He said he would do it, but obviously isnt going to. I was really shocked!
Im not sure if he knows just how -CSI- itll be.
He can have a full view, but no interaction
Elonah [3], Bentley [1]
I think some of you will be surprised. DH always said he didn't even want to be in the room. But, there he was cleaning up meconium filled amniotic fluid from the floor. And the second the nurse said, "I can see hair," he was down there checking the engine too. I think a lot of them change their minds or get swept away when it's time.
I'm personally comfortable with anything DH is comfortable with.
DH watched DS being born, but he didn't want to be hands on. He was amazed when he first saw DS's head crowning.
The funny thing is, I am a doctor, but I was not into being hands-on, either. My OB asked if I wanted to touch or catch my baby as he was being born. I didn't. I had a med-free delivery that was extremely painful and took all of my concentration. I didn't want to be distracted.
With DD1 my DH watched her come out, but that was about it for "hands on". He had no desire to cut the cord. In his words "that is what we are paying the doctor to do".
I think what got him was he happened to be looking when the placenta came out because that is all he seems to talk about when we talk about her delivery. Poor guy...
Goodbye little angel(7/22/2011)....see you in heaven
Goodbye my second angel (9/18/2011)
This!! DH is very squeamish and swore he would just stay up by my head the whole time. Then the nurse started saying, "wow...you can see she has a lot of hair!" That made DH curious, so he took a peek, and then after that he kept looking and giving me updates on how much of her head you could see!
He also had said he definitely didn't want to cut the cord, but he did. Although, he said that while he was over there cutting the cord, he made the mistake of looking back over at me right when the doctor was pulling the placenta out! Yuck! LOL!
At the beginning of the pregnancy, H said he would not look. He was very adamant about it. Now he says he wants to look and possibly cut the cord! I'm surprised he changed his mind.
My hubs is going to miss the birth, but before we found that out he was planning on staying up near my head because he "doesn't need to see all that." If he wanted to look though I doubt I'd have had a problem with it... really figured at the time he decided to look I'd be otherwise occupied and probably wouldn't care
My DH looked and thought it was really cool. He said it looked nothing like me down there anymore so it wasn't like it was a big deal and that he couldn't look at me the same again anymore. He said it was amazing. He held one of my legs and cut the cord, did not catch the baby. Now I am kind of curious about seeing myself but declined the mirror last time. Probably won't look this time either.
I agree that some of you may be surprised. Out of all of my friends who have had kids all of their husbands have looked. Many said they didn't want to and did.