Birth Partner Support
Preparing fathers for birth and beyond
Everyone prepares her. Nobody prepares you.
You'll be asked to be an advocate in a room you've never been in before, have questions you may not even know you have, uncertainty about the best ways to show up.
You'll witness the person you love be in more pain than you may have ever seen her be in.
I bet nobody has told you what your role is through pregnancy, birth, postpartum or maybe even fatherhood in general.
Until now.
Often birth prep treats you as the support staff- the guy holding the water bottle, the one who just sits there, or the one who may cut the umbilical cord.
That's not at all what's being asked of you, and that's sure as hell not what she needs.
What You'll Learn
Your role is to be an anchor- not a coach.
You are the person she trusts, she loves, and who she will need to look to for comfort during one of the most intense moments of her life.
Your role is to be the most regulated nervous system in the room- because hers will unconsciously match yours.
If you're calm, her body can feel safe.
If you're panicking, her body reads danger, and labour can actually slow down when her body feels perceived danger.
Being steady, calm and focused is the most useful thing you can provide her.
Below are what you'll learn and what we will discuss during our time together.
What you'll feel
The feelings I hear out of ever father I've talked to:
helpless
and
fearful.
Knowing what's to come is most of the work.
During our time together we will talk about what to do in those moments instead of leaving the room or trying to solve a problem that doesn't need to be solved.
You'll know what's normal and what's not during labor, birth, and beyond all of that because what man doesn't want the facts?
What "advocate" actually means
You won't need to be fighting the staff.
You need to know what questions to ask and who to ask.
You'll need to know how to confidently say,
"we'd like more time to discuss that,"
and which decisions actually need a decision verses which are being presented as urgent
when in actuality, they aren't.
You'll leave with specific language-
real phrases you can say especially when you're deep in the moment.
The first 40 days after birth
Again, almost nobody tells fathers this part.
You may be sleep deprived, displaced, in bliss, and maybe feeling totally useless.
Some men have expressed feeling displaced and even a distance from the baby at first and think there is something wrong with them.
Nothing is.
We'll go over what's normal, what your new role is after birth, and how to ask for what you also need when everything is focused on mom and your new baby.
How to Protect the space
Who comes to the hospital. Who comes to the house. Who gets told what, and when. You're going to be the one managing the outside world for a bit, and it's much easier if you've decided in advance rather than after the baby is born. Trust me.
How it Works
Fathering the Father is a specific class I teach that goes over the above information plus I answer any specific questions you have and give you personalized handouts if you desire.
This isn't a lecture.
This isn't a class you're expected to know anything.
This isn't a space where you'll be asked to share your feelings with strangers.
It's practical application of knowledge for a role you've never been described.
Included in the full birth package
As a Standalone Workshop
As a recorded Class
Every family I work with will receive this specialized class.
Half a day
8-12 fathers or birth support
Offered 1x/seasonally
$175
This is for partners who can't make a date or want it at any point.
$97