Birth Coach Or Birth Support?

What Should A Father Do? Birth Coach Or Birth Support?

What's a father to do at the birth of his child?

In the 1970s, fathers were expected to be 'birth coaches'. They had their tasks: time contractions, make certain the woman was 'like a rag doll' and breathing with the birthing woman.

In the mid 1980s, the term for fathers changed to 'birth support'. Natural birth advocates had concerns that being a 'birth coach' was telling women what to do, standing on the sidelines and bossing the birthing woman around. Instead women were trusted to 'know exactly' how-to birth, what positions were the best and those with her were there to support her 'choices'. Whether this was good, bad, right or wrong is not the issue ... what we need to do is look at what these words mean.

Let's look at why your Pink Kit Package will use the word 'birth coach'.

Support: This person gives a high level of encouragement AND a low level of suggestions, advise, instruction or ideas.	Coach: This person will give a high level of encouargement and a high level of suggestions, ideas, instruction and assistance.
Delegate: This person will step aside, providing a low level of encouragement and a low level of suggestions.	Director: This person will give a high level of instruction and a low level of encouragement.

Does it matter what term you use? Not at all. It matters what you do as a father in birth. You can take any of these roles at the appropriate time. Learn
your Pink Kit skills so if your birthing partner needs both encouragement and assistance you'll know what to do as a 'birth coach'.