Most new mothers are advised to have their first child in a hospital or birthing centre this is purely precautionary in case there are any complications, all mothers with high risk pregnancy’s will be strongly advised to give birth in hospital many of which will have a caesarean.
It is a good idea to go to the maternity hospital and see what they offer, they can vary enormously so it is worth taking the tour of several before deciding where you want to give birth.
Most women have all their children in hospital this was not always the case and some choose to have a home birth. Providing there are no complications in the pregnancy this is fine if done with medical agreement and with the help of a qualified midwife.
Believe it or not some choose to have a communal birth so that their friends and family and other siblings can be present at the birth and can share in the experience, this isn't for everyone, most woman want the minimum of people around them when the are in labour, but everyone is different.
Speed dial
It may also be the case that your partner has been advised or chosen to have a caesarean, in this case the date and time will be known and it is easier to plan for. If the woman has chosen to have her baby at home the midwives will be on stand by as the due date approaches, it will be a case of getting someone to contact them when your partner goes into labour, speed dial comes in handy here.
Planning the route
If your partner is having your baby in hospital then obviously you need to plan the route, it is worth driving it a few times just so you are sure where you will have to go and where you will park, it will help reduce the panic on the day and save you having to dive there like a racing driver. As the due date approaches it is also a good idea to make sure the car is top up with petrol its only exciting in movies for babies to be born in the back o cars, you would never be allowed to forget it if you were to run out of petrol. If you are going to use a taxi to get to hospital put the number on speed dial and try to call them as soon as the contractions start it may take time to get them to you, if all else fails call an ambulance. Many expectant fathers end up carry out these procedures more than once as some woman suffer from Braxton Hicks contractions, this is where the body is preparing for labour and the contraction feel real but the woman is not in full blown labour it is always better to be checked out by a medical professional so it is worth treating this as if it were the real this. With just a little planning you can take a bit of stress out of the whole experience!!
