Summary of Penny Simkin's The Birth Partner

By IRB Media

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.

#1 Your role as birth partner begins before the mother is in labor. You can prepare for your role through introspection, discussions with the pregnant mother, gathering information, and practicing comfort measures.

• Language: English
• Publisher: IRB Media
• Release date: Apr 19, 2022
• ISBN: 9781669387022

IRB Media

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Insights on Penny Simkin's The Birth Partner

Contents

Insights from Chapter 1

Insights from Chapter 2

Insights from Chapter 3

Insights from Chapter 4

Insights from Chapter 5

Insights from Chapter 6

Insights from Chapter 7

Insights from Chapter 8

Insights from Chapter 9

Insights from Chapter 10

Insights from Chapter 11

Insights from Chapter 12

Insights from Chapter 13

Insights from Chapter 14

Insights from Chapter 15

Insights from Chapter 1

#1

Your role as birth partner begins before the mother is in labor. You can prepare for your role through introspection, discussions with the pregnant mother, gathering information, and practicing comfort measures.

Insights from Chapter 2

#1

Before labor starts, you should do everything on this list to prepare yourself and your partner. It will help you work well with the mother during labor and childbirth.

#2

The role of the birth partner varies according to the personal factors and the nature of the partner’s relationship with the mother. The mother may want you to play a role in the birth, or she may prefer a more natural birth.

#3

As a birth partner, you may experience many different situations and feelings.

#4

Take a tour of the hospital maternity area, including the triage room, birthing rooms, waiting room, nursery, kitchen, and postpartum rooms. Learn how the hospital functions and which entrances you should use during the day and at night.

#5

The birth doula is a positive development in maternity care. She is on call for you, arrives at your house or hospital when you need her, and remains with you continuously until after the baby is born. She is trained and experienced in providing emotional support, physical comfort, and nonclinical advice.

#6

The doula is there to help you make good decisions. She does not make decisions for you, or project her personal preferences on you, but she helps you get the information you need to make good decisions.

#7

Once you have found a doula, you should meet with her a few times before the birth to get to know each other and make sure she is the right person for you and your partner.

#8

You may not be able to find a doula in your area, so you may want to consider having a friend or family member play a similar role. Think about what the person can do for the mother and for you.

#9

The birth partner should pack the following for the hospital: a copy of the birth plan, a watch with a second hand or a smart phone with a contraction timer application, grooming supplies, food, a sweater, and change of clothes.

#10

For a home birth, you will want to make some other preparations at the last minute: clean and organize the house, make the bed with fresh linens, and include in the Birth Plan the mother’s preferences in case of transfer.

#11

The pelvic rock on all fours, the squatting exercise, and the Kegel exercise are helpful during pregnancy and labor. They help strengthen abdominal muscles, relieve low back pain, improve circulation in the lower half of the body, and position the baby in the favorable OA position.

#12

Labor can be physically demanding for you as well as for the mother. A strong partner is invaluable in helping you change and maintain certain positions, and in providing steady pressure on her low back or hips to relieve back pain.

#13

The inside of a woman’s perineum, which is between the vagina and the anus, should be massaged in late pregnancy to help her release tension in her perineum during birth. Prenatal perineal massage can reduce the need for an episiotomy