Hellobee Boards

I just wanted him where I could see him. Unfortunately for him that was a front row seat to the show!

Talking really annoyed me. Sleeping in the recliner also really annoyed me.

I don't know why, but just him being near me inbetween (but not during) contractions was comforting and his encouragement really made me feel like I was doing good, especially during pushing.

Foot and back rubs in early labor are really helpful too!

Just being near me helped me too but I agree that talking during contractions wasn't helpful (although I wouldn't have been able to hear him since I was screaming). Talking while I was pushing actually helped a bit because he kept telling me I could do it.

He did try to rub my foot during a contraction and I snapped at him to stop touching me though. During the contractions I just wanted space to curl up and scream as much as I wanted to. It helped when he was comforting in between though.

He fed me ice chips (just like the creepy 1980's style videos you see in the prenatal class!) but I never had to ask for it. He just knew when I needed some. Who knows, maybe I was opening my mouth like a baby bird! HA! He also kept a cool, wet washcloth and wiped my forehead with it (and cleaned the vomit out of my hair...thanks honey!).

@mandb36: I don't know how women want to have a rub down during labor either! The ONLY time I snapped at DH during my whole labor was when he tried to rub my back. I literally slapped his hand away. Whoopsies!

Oh! He also was crazy obsessed with the monitor that showed the contractions, he watched it closer than the nurses and honestly got a little pissed at one point when I was chatting with them (AFTER the epidural) b/c we realized we were on the same drunken bowling league in college haha! It made me feel like he was really concerned and paying attention to make sure we were okay.

He really didn't talk. At all. He'd tell me I was doing a good job but not too much to the point where I wanted to smack him. He'd just say "It's okay, you're doing great" that's all I needed

He would give me his hand to squeeze during contractions, he would remind me to breathe during transition, and just leaning on him really helped. The only thing that annoyed me was when I finally got some IV meds that were helping with pain so he took a quick nap. I couldn't believe he fell asleep while I was still dealing with contractions but my nurse helped me while he slept and looking back it was good he napped at that point!

DH was amazing! I loved the talking - he was constantly encouraging me & telling me what a good job I was doing. Once or twice he told me to "pull it together" and that actually did help during intense contractions. He also used counter-pressure during contractions, had me hold on to him while I pushed, & pushed fluids on me. I can't think of anything he did that was annoying.

Probably the best thing he did was keep a level head. Anytime an intervention was offered he asked a bunch of questions before letting anything happen. (I was ready to say yes to anything after a certain point!)

DH was very supportive through everything, never left my side, Anything I wanted or needed he got, he held my hand through epidural, held my leg, helped coach through pushing. He was very helpful. After LO was born he did sleep a lot that night and I was kind of irritated bc I was in a lot of pain and he was sleeping away!

He rubbed my head and would go out into the hallway to get my nurse every time I needed her...and was just awesome in general...best part is that he watched everything and has a new found love & respect for me (more than before) and he has been very helpful with recovery because he saw first hand the hell I went through
What not to do: get awesome food & eat it in front of you. That was evil but other than that he was great:)

Oh! & he texted my family updating them and all that an took pictures right as LO was born.

I was actually amped for l&d because I was envisioning back and foot massages! In reality I did NOT WANT to be touched. Anywhere. I felt badly afterward because He'd kept offering his hand during contractions and I just wanted to hold the bed rails.

He also said all along that he wasn't gonna watch or cut cord but did both! Pleasantly surprised me

Labor started fast and in the middle of the night for us. DH forgot to brush his teeth and during one of my contractions he was blowing in my face and I almost threw up (& did several times later, but not bc of his breath - haha). So, pack a toothbrush, mints and gum for him

nope, I absolutely did not want to be touched either! the best thing DH did in the delivery room was keep his mouth shut and pay attention, haha. sad, but true.

Before I got the epidural pretty much any and everything that came out of his mouth made me want to hit him, and I flinched when he tried to touch me. I felt so bad afterwards, lol. (to be fair, I had the same reaction to my mother, the OB, the L&D nurses, and the anesthesiologist until she placed my epidural...then the love flowed out).

We didn't have to do much when my epidural was working...he kept the mood light, and got me ice chips when I needed them.

When my epidural wore off he was just a rock to me. I labored in almost complete silence, sitting up, holding one of his hands (actually only holding two of his fingers). He would tell me when a contraction was peaking (from the monitor). When a contraction hit it would be too overwhelming to even open my eyes, but when it passed my eyes would immediately find his and just a few seconds of eye contact with him steeled me for the next contraction.

I was really sick through most of it, and he was the first one to get a bucket under my mouth and wipe my face off with cool wet washclothes. When I was pushing he was down at my feet holding a leg up and coaching me through pushing...letting me know when I was pushing most effectively by what he was seeing (especially as he started seeing the head). In between pushes he kept telling me I was a rockstar.

After DS came out I needed immediate medical attention. MIL and FIL stayed with Evan while he was being measured and tested, and DH stayed with me. He told me later that he desperately wanted to meet Evan, but needed to be with me more right then, so he refused to leave my side. He told me there was so much blood he thought he might lose me.

After delivery, when I wasn't allowed anything but ice chips (they even refused to let me have water!) he kept filling my cup up with water when the nurses weren't looking.

So there really wasn't anything in particular he did except stay fluid and in tune with what I needed him to do/say. He didn't get offended when I growled at him not to touch me, he didn't complain or shy away from catching my puke, he was a very vocal when I needed to be coached when pushing. He was supportive of whatever I needed at that moment, whatever it was.

ETA: Aaannnd as usual I wrote a novel. Sorry J!

Having him come hold my hand/be close after a bad contraction (before I got my epdidural) was nice. He held a leg when I pushed. I wanted music and he was annoying about it - kept searching for a good pandora station. BUt other than that he was a good hubbie : )

I gave VERY specific instructions before we went into labor and he followed them to a T. I told him:

1) I didn't want to touch or see anything down there, but I wanted to be aware of everything happening, so he had to watch and give me a very detailed play by play, even if it meant saying the same thing over and over during pushing.

2) If I pooped, I didn't want to know until after delivering.

3) When I was in pain, he was not to speak at all unless I asked him to.

4) The second delivery I asked him to sit instead of stand next to me. With our first delivery he really suffered the next few days because he didn't sit down for almost 12 hours straight.

Everything else he did, he did out of his own volition. He kept the water, ginger ale, apple juice, and ice chips coming at a steady flow and constantly asked me what I wanted next.

Even though my first delivery was a nightmare and the second wasn't peachy either, I look back on both experiences with a lot of fondness. They were really great moments for us as a couple.