A warm hand is all what it takes...

I’ve had two experiences in the delivery room. I won’t go into the details of what went on in there but in one instance, my husband was not there and in the other, he was.

The first time, I was practically a lone ranger with my husband away for months and unable to come home for the birth of his first baby. To make things worse, the hospital I was admitted to did not allow people in the labour ward or delivery room so my sisters-in-law were tricked into going to buy me some tea and were never allowed back into the ward until the day after when I was settled in my bed with my new baby.

The second time around, there was no convincing my husband to stay away. He was there...cameras rolling and all (yes, he had an extra one just in case). It was so reassuring to have him there, watching over things especially since it ended up being an emergency C-section. As soon as I got out of the theatre, I allowed the deep sleep to take over as soon as I confirmed the baby was safely snuggled in his arms.

It’s nerve-wracking for men to be in the delivery room...but it’s worse for a woman to be alone, whiling (well, more like huffing, puffing and screaming) the labour hours away. It helps when a man can overcome the hurdles of fear, culture and the unknown to be there for his partner.

Some women may not have the option of a male partner by their side but the presence of a friend, a sister or a mother can be equally reassuring. Even in this age of advanced science and technology, it’s a miracle when a mother makes it out of a delivery room alive. And nobody knows this more than the mother herself.

So if you haven’t added this to your list of resolutions yet, plan to be there for an expectant friend (or stranger). You don’t have to go to the delivery room or even the hospital but you can offer to fill her water bottle for her in the office or ask her how her day is going. Anything  good to put a smile on her face is worth.