Childbirth

Ok, so I know that Dads are not the ones pushing, but we are there to serve, to help, and to generally be a verbal target for Moms to focus their pain on.

Sounds tough, right?

Well…yes, but as far as childbirth jobs go, it is the easiest of them all!

Whether or not Dad deserves a push present for his efforts remains to be seen. He could be completely useless…in which case, simply take the push present back to the shop!

Here I take a look at some of the best push present ideas for Dad, and every gift here I would personally love to receive.

Push Present Ideas For Dad

I’ve had a long, hard think about the kind of gifts that I would like to receive. 8 of which are sentimental push present ideas for Dad and the rest are just plain awesome gifts!

Photo Frame

I mentioned this is my Dad gifts from Wife post, and I am going to mention it here because I am a big fan of a photo frame. Especially as it comes in very useful when I need some motivation at work!

Every time I wonder what I am working hard for, I take a look at the photo to remind me.

It is a simple, but effective gift that keeps on giving!

Engraved Watch

An engraved watch is an excellent push present for Dad. In fact, any piece of jewelry that is engraved will hold a lot of sentimental value for Dad.

Think carefully about the message you are going to engrave on it.

If you already know what you are going to call the new Baby, it is a great idea for that to be part of the message.

It does not have to be an expensive watch, it is the message that is most important.

I have a watch that I received as a gift, and on the back is an engraved message from my Son. I keep it in very good condition and only wear it for special occasions.

Ring

A ring is a well-known push present for Mom, but if Dad is keen on jewelry then why not treat him to a ring as well?

Similar to a watch, you might also want to consider engraving a message on the inside of the ring. Obviously, you will not have much space to work with, so keep it short!

Alcohol Bottled That Year

This is an awesome push present and an excellent expectant Father gift.

The best thing about this push present is that it is sentimental, and if you pick the right alcohol it can be kept until his Baby is old enough to help drink it.

If Dad is like me, he will want to keep it for a special occasion, but he may also find it useful immediately!

Dad Story Book

When it is time for my Son to go to bed we always have story time first.

The best story I get to read him is the Dad storybook I received as a gift.

A personal favorite of mine is the book which I received. It is called The Dinosaur That Pooped Daddy, and it is a fun story that will make Dad laugh as he reads it, and will make his Baby laugh when they reach the Toddler stage too.

There will be a time when my Son will not want me to read him a bedtime story, so I want to make the most of it, and enjoy it while I can.

Studies have shown that when Dads read a bedtime story to their Children, it sparks their imagination! So take advantage!

Photo Book Of Pregnancy

At the end of each year, I buy my Wife a photo book. Inside the book, it is filled with the best photographs from our year as parents.

I honestly enjoy putting the book together, and my Wife loves receiving it as a gift.

The only problem is that she takes so many photos, it takes me a few weeks to pull together the best ones!

Load up the book with your favorite photographs from the pregnancy, beginning with a time before pregnancy. Move on to the Baby scan photograph, and then each one to show the bump growing.

You can always follow it up with some photographs of the labor, and the first photographs of his new Baby.

Letter From His New Baby

The beauty of this gift is that it is free!

Well, obviously you will have to pay for some decent paper, but you get what I am saying, right?

Write down everything that his new Baby will want from him, and how much they are going to love their Dad.

Slip in a few phrases like:

‘Don’t forget to take some night feeds’ or:

‘Make sure you save enough money for my Colledge education’

…just to set the correct expectations for the future!

Streaming Service Subscription

This is an awesome push present for Dad, and the best thing is that Mom can also take advantage!

You have a choice of many, many streaming services too.

Consider what Dad is interested in. Does he like music, films, and podcasts?

When you are a new Dad and you have plenty of free time when the Baby is born (kidding), then why give him a streaming service so he can binge-watch his favorite shows.

Or even more likely, give Dad something to watch at 4-am when he has the Baby asleep but he dare not move!

Todays Newspaper

This one might be a bit tricky, but you can always ask a friend to pick one up for you! It is even more of a challenge if the birth happens during the early hours of the morning.

By giving Dad the ‘Newspaper of the Day’ it gives him yet another sentimental item. He can relive the events of his Babies birthday any time that he feels the need to.

I do not live with regret, but if I were to go through the birthday of my Son again then I would make sure I got a few newspapers to mark the occasion.

Baby Carrier For Dad

There are plenty of things that a Dad can do to build a bond with his Baby. One of the best things he can do is carry the Baby around with him.

Baby carriers are an important item that I highly recommend any new Dad uses.

The only issue is as the Baby gets older, carrying them around may lead to back pain, which is why I opt for a Baby carrier with back support.

A personal favorite of mine is the LILLEBaby Complete Baby Carrier. It is simple to use, light, and awesome if you suffer from back pain!

What is a push present? And why does Dad deserve one?

A push present is really for Moms since they are the ones who actually do the pushing! More recently, Dads have been receiving gifts from Mom to welcome the Baby into this world. I am all for it, obviously, but since I neglected to buy my Wife a push present I doubt very much that I deserve it.

You may opt to go for a full-on new Dad gift basket, or you may simply buy him a push present too.

Conclusion

Although there are some awesome push present ideas for Dad on this page, you will need to consider what he enjoys doing, along with any hobbies that he may have.

Does Dad like sports? Who is Dads favorite team? Does Dad play golf, or Tennis?

My preference is to receive a push present that means something to the birth, and the huge day that both Mom and Dad have just been through. It is a life-changing event, and although they will both have some great memories, it is always a nice touch to receive a sentimental gift.

The best thing about these ideas is that there are options here to fit all budgets, ranging from a free letter to an engraved watch, or ring.

…and do not forget to push Dad this way to get some awesome new Dad tips, and also what gear I recommend for all Dads!

Good luck with the push present, and good luck with the birth!

Childbirth can take ages. Sure, it is tough for Women, we know that. If we could swap, we would, right? My Wives childbirth took over 3 days. I was bored….senseless.

My mind starts to wander. It goes off on tangents in an attempt to keep me entertained, and I love it. The danger is, the more tired I am, the more likely I am to say things out loud.

When you have a woman who is going through more physical pain that you can imagine, you have to be careful what you say during the childbirth phase!

During the 3 days, I learned what I should and shouldn’t say during Childbirth, mostly from personal experience, but I also learned by watching others communicate. I heard some things…..and I saw the ‘death stare response’. Here I will run you through what not to say during childbirth.

Why Childbirth Is The Time You Really Need To Say The Right Things!

Childbirth is a time when you need to be on the ball with what you say and do. For childbirth, preparation is key!

It is the time when you need to be saying the right things, at the right time.

You need to be the rock, and you need to be the one person who gets them through this horrific, and painful time!

If you avoid saying anything on the following list, you are on the right track!

Things A Dad Shouldn’t Say During Childbirth

1. How Long Will This Take

Do not even think of saying this. Not even to the midwife, not even to the doctor.

No-one knows.

An educated guess is some time in the next 3 days, you have had a new baby. Prepare for that, and don’t chase updates!

2. They Should Put a TV In Here

I know, it would have been a great idea. For a start, it is something you can do while your wife is concentrating on squeezing the baby out.

Why not bring in the games console too? I jest, of course, don’t ever say that during childbirth.

3. The Baby Will come Out when Its Ready

I never said this, but I saw my wives reaction to those who did.

I have never seen a pregnant woman leap across a bed and strangle someone with the heart rate monitor, but I am sure I was pretty close.

4. I Am So Tired

Yeh, you might be tired. You might, like me, have slept for 15 minutes in the last 3 days, but don’t even go there.

Would you rather be tired, because you haven’t slept much? Or would you rather be tired….and in pain?

Have a think about it.

Oh, and while I am at it, if those words do slip out of your mouth, do not follow it up with:

‘It is alright for you, I have nothing keeping me awake, at least you have pain’.

That was my brain keeping me entertained! I should have kept it in, but I was tired….and the words slipped out.

5. Smile, You’re On Camera

My wife hated, with a passion, HATED me taking pictures and videos during the childbirth.

To be honest, after 3 days, I was running seriously low on storage space anyway!

the worst part about this is when we were looking back on the childbirth, she was slightly annoyed because I DIDN’T take enough pictures and videos of her. Some you lose, others you still lose.

6. I am Just Arranging Some Visits, Is Tomorrow OK?

For a start, you don’t even know if you will be at home tomorrow!

Relax, and leave the arranging for when you get back home. Arrange nothing until you are out of the hospital.

7. When Should We Have Another One?

Don’t even joke.

Honest, wrong time. Completely the wrong time to be bringing this one up!

8. Do You Mind If I Go Home For a While?

This one is very risky, even if she says yes! Honestly, you do not want to miss the birth of your child, surely!

During the mammoth 3 days of childbirth, my Wife suggested I go home and get some sleep…..honest….she suggested it to me!

Wild horses couldn’t drag me away though, I was staying until the end, and I am glad I did.

9. Can You Keep The Noise Down

Honest, I was so close to saying this! During the childbirth, I got 15 minutes of sleep. It was 15 minutes because I was awoken by the noise of my wife dragging on the nitrous oxide!

Just when I had got to sleep, I was snapped back to a waking state! My head was fuzzy, it took me a few seconds to realize where I was, and it almost slipped out.

‘Can you keep the noise down, I am trying to sleep’

I may not be here now.

10. At Least It Is Not Twins

Guilty – this, I did say.

It might not be twins, but it is still very tiring, very painful for her, and it could be very painful for you if you tell your partner:

‘It could be worse’

Conclusion

Childbirth is a very stressful time, don’t make it worse by saying the wrong thing!

You will need to do some preparation for childbirth, so you know what to expect. At least now you know what not to say during childbirth, it is a good start!

Basically, your job during childbirth is to pay attention, get involved and look after your partner. Be a serious clown. If you can.

You have the tools available to help you survive childbirth, your next task is to survive being a new Dad!

Good luck!

So here you are, it’s been heading for you like a steam train since the conception! To get you prepared, and to help get your through childbirth, I have put together a guide for Dads.

When you first realize your other half is pregnant, the birth actually seems ages away. The time moves slowly because you can’t wait for the scans, and make sure they are healthy so you can announce the pregnancy to friends and family.

Then you get to 30 weeks, and BAM, in an instant, you are in the hospital ready to rock and roll. Where did those 7-10 weeks go!

Childbirth Tips – How I Got My Experience

Let me tell you some facts about my son’s childbirth:

• It lasted 72 hours.
• I slept for 15 minutes.
• My wife did not sleep.
• I had a cold.

It wasn’t the best of births, to say the least! I am not sure, to this day, what kept us going for 72 hours without sleep. To think of the energy she must have used, it must have left her absolutely shattered!

That is the main reason I never mocked her as I helped to lift her battered, swollen body into a warm bath when the birth was over. It was also the reason I never mocked her as I wheeled her in to in the Hospital Cafe with a full bag of urine leaning on her arm.

Oh, wait…I actually did mock her for that.

Anyway, I digress, the last 6 hours were the most painful for her, and the last hour was the most distressing.

The Distressing Last Hour

Babies heart rate dropping, wife feet swelling, pain relief failing and I broke my headphones!

Then we are told ‘he is stuck, we need to get you to the theatre’.

So I scrub up and do my best to look like George Clooney, before heading into the theatre where my wife is surrounded by a gaggle of Doctors (It that the collective noun?).

As time goes by, the baby’s heart rate drops significantly with every contraction. His shoulder is stuck.

‘McRoberts’ they shout, as two people grab hold of my wife’s legs and ram them back towards her head. Forceps go in but no baby yet!

They shout it again, the legs get pushed back, and my wife’s face looks a mess! There is snot everywhere! Out comes a baby.

He spent about 4 seconds on my wife’s stomach before being rushed away, leaving my head spinning and my wife as high as someone at Woodstock.

It was a few minutes….which felt like a few hours before I heard the cry!

After 8 days in intensive care, he was released and we took him home.

They are not all like that, by the way. Some are much better, some are much worse. I am just grateful it had a very positive outcome.

How Long Can Childbirth Last?

How long is a piece of string?

Prepare for anything.

My wife took 3 days to give birth to my son, 8 days a later a friend did it all within the hour.

Who knows…..but as long as you are prepared, you will be fine.

Your Job – What You Need To Be Doing During Childbirth

Let’s face it, childbirth is tough for us men, but we still have the easiest part to play.

Stay cool – you are the rock.

Your partner will need you to be the man, she will need you to be strong and she will look to you for reassurance.

Even if you have no clue what you are doing, and this is also new for you, look in control. Your energy needs to portray confidence that all is still cool.

Be a Jack of All Trades

For most of the labor, you will be a general dogsbody.

Can you get my [INSERT RANDOM ITEM] out of the bag, please?

Where is the [INSERT RANDOM ITEM]?

Ask the midwife for advice, if you can, without your partner hearing.

Confidence could be shattered if you ask a stupid question in front of her!

Entertain Mom

Out of the 3 days labor, I am pretty sure I spent at least 80% of the time entertaining her. Laughter is the best (natural) medicine.

75% of that entertainment was mocking her insane ramblings due to the painkillers she took during childbirth! It worked though.

Don’t be bullied

Just because you are not the one going through the pain, it doesn’t mean you should miss out on helping, or being part of it, just because the midwife tells you.

It is a HUGE life experience for you.

I have heard stories about midwives telling the partners to ‘sit down in the corner and keep quiet’.

No chance, this is my life experience and I am getting involved.

Take Photographs and Videos

Your partner will hate you for doing it during the birthing process, and you are likely to be verbally abused!

BUT

Even if she says no, sneak some in. This is a big moment in life and she may want to look back on it. I have videos of my wife swearing at me during the pain of multiple contractions! Then when I showed her, she was disappointed that I did not record more!

What You Can Expect When Your Wife Is In Childbirth Mode

Everything!

Ah man, you have no idea!

Literally, anything can happen.

Childbirth can take you from waddling around a hospital, bored senseless, to clearing up sick because she thinks her waters have broken and begins panicking! Then a hospital worker enters the room ‘Can I get you anything to eat’….now really isn’t a good time! This all happened within 30 seconds.

Throughout the whole 72 hours childbirth, I managed about 15 minutes of sleep. Something inside keeps you going!

Don’t even think about sleep.

Many TV shows or movies portray a woman in childbirth to be a complete she-Devil. Maybe I got lucky, or maybe she was just too high to give me any abuse. The most aggressive she got was when she was too hot and demanded to be cooled down.

I poured some water on her head.

What Type Of Birth Will It Be?

I am going to run down the basics of a natural birth v a cesarean.

Your intentions may be for one or the other, but you have to keep an open mind!

1. Natural

This is a classic birth. The baby starts in the womb and ends up squeezing out of a place you hold dear in your heart, then you both start crying. The baby is in shock, and you are mourning the destruction.

There are a large number of phrases that you need to be aware of for natural birthing but let’s stick to the most common:

Common Terms For a Dad To Know For a Natural Birth

Term: Breech.

Meaning: The baby is presenting feet first instead of head first.

Translation: This is gonna hurt, worse than normal.

Term: Crowning.

Meaning: If you look in-between her legs, you can see the baby’s head.

Translation: You can look, but don’t laugh.

Term: Dilation.

Meaning: The size that her cervix has increased to let the baby out.

Translation: No real translation, 10cm is called ‘Full dilation’.

Term: Episiotomy.

Meaning: An incision the Doctor made to wider the ‘exit’.

Translation: They cut between the vagina and anus to make the hole bigger. I call this a vaganus.

Term: Forceps.

Meaning: An instrument used to assist the delivery.

Translation: They gonna grab your baby’s head and yank it out.

2. Cesarean

This can either be booked in before childbirth, or your partner may be rushed away for an emergency cesarean if something unforeseen was to happen during childbirth.

A cesarean is where your partner is taken to theatre, numbed from the waist down, cut open and out pops a baby.

Because they have to cut through stomach muscles, you will need to offer your partner a lot of help and support for 6-8 weeks after the operation.

In the event of a pre-booked operation, you will be able to attend the theatre with her. If it is an emergency, they like to keep you out of the theatre.

Seriously, how nerve wracking is that?

Stages of Childbirth

Throughout the entire stage, the midwife will be checking ‘dilation’.

What is dilation? What is checked?

During childbirth, your baby’s head has to squeeze through the cervix (The lower part of the Uterus). On the build-up to childbirth, a woman’s body will release hormones to open the cervix in preparation.

Dilation is how wide the cervix is.

The midwife or Doctor will perform their check and make a note.

They are keen for your partner to become ‘fully dilated’, which is where the cervix is 10 cm in diameter.

It is then that the baby is loaded up like a cannonball, ready to be fired out.

1. Contractions

This is where your partner’s muscles are tensing up and releasing, to squeeze the baby out. They are pretty strong, so I hear!

2. Waters Breaking

This is the release of the amniotic fluid from the womb.

It is getting serious now!

The final countdown has begun.

When the fluid has been released, your baby is much more susceptible to infections, which is why they are keen to get things moving when the waters break.

3. Fully Dilated – 10 CM

Boom – the journey through the birth canal is here!

Childbirth Pain Relief

There are a number of things you can do to help your partner through child-birth.

Not all of them has to include drugs, although they are the most effective!

Drug-Free

Some folks will want to avoid drugs for pain relief because they want a totally natural birth.

My wife was one of those people.

WAS.

Until she felt the pain, then she turned into a ‘GIVE ME SOME DRUGS‘ type of person.

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)

You can buy your own TENS machine, they are good for birthing pains and other muscle pains, so you can use it after for your bad back!

Birthing Exercise Ball

These are basically the same as a generic exercise ball. Make sure you get one that is strong enough to hold the weight of a mother expecting a child!

You do not want to be responsible if the thing breaks. Anti-burst is the way to go!

Back Massages

You can learn some massage techniques that will help to ease the pain of childbirth.

Just bear in mind that is you do a fantastic job, she will know how good you are and will want more massages in the future.

If you are not cool with that, just practice being ‘OK’ and massage to relieve pain!

Common Drugs for Pain Relief During Childbirth

Like I mentioned above, some want it natural, then opt for drugs! So what kind of drugs are on offer to the glowing mother to be?

1. Gas and Air (Nitrous Oxide and Oxygen)

This is very common and is administered through a face mask or tube.

Remember to get her to take a breath from it as soon as the contractions start. It can take a few seconds to work.

Gas and Air does induce some crazy talk – seriously. This had my wife making up a song about Bananas, it wasn’t a great song but I knocked the score up to make her feel better.

2. Pethidine

Strong pain reliever injected into the buttocks.

The pain relief lasts from 2 to 4 hours. It can make them feel sick and lethargic and it is not available too close to the end of the birth because it can induce respiratory depression for the kid at birth.

3. Epidural

This takes away feeling from the waist down. Magic stuff.

What Happens After The Baby Is Born?

First, they need to get the placenta out, which is a bit like giving birth all over again, but a bit easier. Most of the time, this will happen naturally but they sometimes have to give a small injection to help it out.

If everything has gone well, the baby will be checked over and you will need to answer a few questions….regarding feeding, etc.

As soon as your baby has been seen feeding and has been to the toilet a few times, it is time to check out and go home!

The childbirth journey has ended and your journey as a Dad begins.

Common Terms For a Dad To Know After The Birth

Term: Meconium.

Meaning: A green discharge from the baby’s bowels.

Translation: Your baby has had its first dump. This can cause issues if it happened in the womb and will be treated with antibiotics.

Term: Colostrum.

Meaning: A white discharge from the breasts at the start of milking.

Translation: This stuff comes from your other half’s breast before the milk. It has all the things your new-born will need. For a few hours at least.

Conclusion

Childbirth is both extremely rewarding and extremely tense in the same measure.

When it is all over, and assuming it has gone well, you are given this child, which is now yours to look after and protect.

Almost immediately your aspirations change.

When I speak with expectant Fathers, their primary concern is the lack of sleep they will get during childbirth and during the first few months of being a parent.

I can honestly say, this will not be anywhere near as bad as you are expecting.

The fun takes away the tiredness! Fun and beer.

If you are due to go through childbirth soon, I wish you good luck and good health!