Cosmopolitan

Dads in the delivery room

Angus, Adam and Oden
Adam, 38, vegetation manager; father to Oden, 4, and Angus, 1

“When my wife Nat first started having contractions, it was hard for me to gauge how much pain she was in. We lived an hour away from the hospital, and were told to leave home when the contractions were regular and five minutes apart. There was no regularity to them at all, so I didn’t know when to take her. Nat had her mother and a friend with her, and I think it’s important to have other females around.

"I went into the actual labour with an open mind – I wasn’t scared or fearful at all. I was surprised, though, at how quick Nat’s labour was. I thought we’d be there for a lot longer. I just tried to encourage Nat as much as possible. She squeezed the hell out of my hand, but I was there for her!

"I was lucky in that I had a few mates who’d just had children, so I could spend time talking with them, hearing about their experiences. But I think there needs to be more community-based support available for men. Not just for the birth, but for fatherhood as well. My advice to other dads is to be prepared for anything. Let it flow and don’t
get disappointed if things change. I also suggest doing some good hand stretches beforehand to make yours nice and strong! Be flexible and ditch any preconceived ideas. Women have been doing this for years, so just enjoy it! Seeing your baby’s head come out is one of life’s ‘wow’ moments.”

For more great stories on dads in the delivery room, check out the Spring 2009 issue of Cosmopolitan Pregnancy, on sale August 17th.


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Winter 2010

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