Book Recommendation for DH

mrshall10210

I am wanting to buy a book for DH to read, basically about how to help me during labor.  The only class we're going to get is the one that the hospital offers, so I'm not expecting much and hoping to be pleasantly surprised.

Should I buy the Bradley book?  Is there another book you would recommend for a guy to read?  I should add, although his intentions are good, DH has never been a book reader and this will probably have to be a lighter read, that isn't going to take him weeks to finish, or he never will.

Basically I want him to understand the reasons behind declining some interventions, delayed cord clamping, pushing positions, tearing vs. episiotomy, things like that so he can help advocate for me when I'm not communicating well. 

Celyn

Penny Simkin's The Birth Partner and Henci Goer's The Thinking Woman's Guide to a Better Birth

Celyn

Henci has a new book out called Optimal Care in Childbirth.  I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but it might be worth paging through a bit.

briannabeebug

I'm going to echo The Birth Partner as well!

ldpm

Birth Partner. I might also suggest finding a doula. Doulas also help the dad not be so anxious and offer suggestions on what he can do to help mom. If I have the chance to do a home visit before labor, I will run mom and dad thru different scenarios and labor techniques.

RMS112611

I would definitely look into hiring a doula...  there are half a million benefits to having another woman in the room with you, helping you and him!  

I'm sure you've heard of them, but business of being born and more business of being born are a couple things I want to watch with my hubby as the time gets closer.  He doesn't do well with "assigned" reading, whereas with the videos you are able to sit and watch together, in the space of a few hours.  Other than that, I have made it a point  to read up on things and tell him what I'm learning.  We're lucky in that a couple of our best friends have done home births with their kids, and she is a doula. So he's around it, and pretty accustomed to our banter back and forth about the benefits of natural/ home births,  and why interventions are not so good.  

Also, reading the books yourself and then bookmarking pages that you think he might be interested in may be better, if he's not much of a reader.  

Good luck!

hvtang

Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way. I read the whole thing and basically bookmarked the parts I wanted him to read.  I like it because it has practice exercises in it, so I tell my DH to read X chapter and then we do the practice exercise at the end together.  It's worked out pretty well for us!

hamiltks10

Another vote for watching The Business of Being Born.  This is what pushed my DH towards wanted an un-medicated/intervention free birth.  

mrshall10210

OK, I'm ordering The Birth Partner and will look for The Business of Being Born on Netflix. I still want the Bradley book for myself, so I may get that, too, and mark some pages for him.  I have Henci Goer's book, but sometimes I think he thinks that the people who write these books are crazy and he doesn't take me all that seriously sometimes. Don't get me wrong, I have no doubt that when we're in the delivery room, he will be awesome... but I think he is going to tend to believe everything the doctors/nurses tell him just out of fear for the baby's (and my) health and safety. Not that that's bad, but he needs to be able to stand behind my decisions.    Wish me luck in getting him to sit down and read!