Getting ready for birth: impending fatherhood

Fathers-to-be, who would like to support their partner while they give birth often feel poorly prepared for the situation at birth in spite of attending preperation classes with the mother-to-be. Is there a way to enhance preparation by having men participate in an additional class lead by a male obstetrician? In a randomized prospective trial men who took part in preparation classes together with their partner were separated into two groups. The men in the intervention group were given additional training without their partners to prepare them for the delivery room. The men in the control group were not given extra training and only attented the preparation course with their partners. Data were collected at the end of the course and three months after birth by questionnaire. In the intervention group the participants felt better prepared and judged the experience of birth more positively. The training lead to an intensified feeling of having helped their partner adequately during birth. The women whose partners had attended the training felt that the support of their partners was much better, compared with the control group. Special classes for men enhanced the contentment of both partners at birth.