What should my birth partner know?

Birth partners often feel like spectators. They shouldn't — a prepared partner is one of the most powerful comfort tools in the room.

The essentials: know the stages of labor so nothing surprises you. Learn three or four comfort measures well — counter-pressure, hip squeezes, guided breathing, position changes — rather than twenty superficially.

Know the birth preferences. Not to enforce them rigidly, but so you can help ask good questions when decisions come up: What are our options? What are the benefits and risks? What happens if we wait?

Practical matters count too: know the route to the hospital, what's in the bag, and who's on the call list. Labor is not the moment to look for parking information.

Most of all: your calm presence matters more than any technique. Our Lamaze course dedicates real practice time to partners for exactly this reason.