"Recently, we have been focusing more on parenting topics, as they are currently affecting not only Jakub and I, but also some members of our team. Naturally, we are addressing them, looking for answers to various questions that arise on this difficult but beautiful journey. Kuba and I have just given birth to our first daughter, which we experienced in the hospital maternity ward. During the birth, we faced many situations that surprised us and we did not know how to react. The birth also affected our later life, so this time we decided to pay much more attention to the preparation. One of the important steps was our participation in the hypnobirthing course ' Childbirth is beautiful' at the Prague yoga studio Namastery with great instructors Katarína Plzáková and Petra Zavadilová. Our team colleagues asked Kuba several questions, as they were particularly interested in his insight as a man and his perception of his role during childbirth." Dominika
How did your first birth experience affect you?
We arrived at the maternity ward when Dominika's amniotic fluid had broken and she wasn't feeling any contractions yet. At the request of the staff, she stayed in the maternity ward, and since it was the time of Covid measures, I had to go home. When her contractions started on the third day, I only got to her when she had finished her stay in the warm bath and had moved to the delivery room. However, she still wouldn't open. I had no knowledge and of course no experience with childbirth. I perceived every intervention as necessary at that moment, although seeing the nurse jumping on Dominika's belly was not very easy to process. At that time, I thought that this was how it should be, that she should be cut and that everything should be done as it was. Now I look at it all differently and thanks to the course, I know that these interventions can be prevented in various ways. First, by preparing yourself before the birth itself and also by maintaining some measures that I, as an escort, would insist on being respected. We are currently set up for home birth, but the course gave men a complete overview of what will happen in maternity hospitals so that they know how to react and distinguish between the necessity and non-necessity of an intervention or procedure.
Do you feel more prepared for your second birth after the course "Childbirth is Beautiful"?
Much more, especially since it will be a big change, since we decided to have a home birth and this course was almost essential for me. My role will be logistics, to provide some technical things and last but not least, I can perceive the situation rationally so that the woman can be guided purely intuitively. I probably never feel ready, but I will be much calmer and have no expectations.
Don't you think the decision to have a home birth is irresponsible and too risky?
Until I had enough information, I perceived it similarly. Now I know that the most important thing for a woman in labor, the start and progress of labor, is to be safe and unobserved. Home represents these attributes for us. Someone may perceive the maternity hospital that way. And as for responsibility, right now, when preparing with a midwife, I feel that preparation is much more responsible. We started by analyzing the first birth, the PA asked for its documentation, what and why it happened, whether there were any predispositions. Since she is a health professional, she monitors Dominika's health and can also professionally assess the risk. Of course, we don't want to push anything to extremes. We have the maternity hospital a short distance from home.
Do you perceive childbirth through the emotion of fear, or what emotions do you have about childbirth after this course?
As for emotions, I don't have any extra emotions after the course, rather I got rid of a few unnecessary ones: unknown expectations, fear, or unnecessary visions of complications. The course made me feel at ease and, on the contrary, I'm looking forward to the birth.
What did the course help/influence you the most?
He clearly summarized what I expected to learn. I feel more confident and much more prepared, I have various methods and procedures at my disposal to help Dominika before and during childbirth. I want to gradually refresh and study everything, and thanks to the course I have some clues.
How do you perceive your role during childbirth?
I will be there as technical and psychological support, an active participant, ensuring everything within my competence for the comfort of the mother. I will try to be as helpful as I can.
Do you think childbirth can really be beautiful or is it just some fairy tale?
If circumstances allow, the arrival of your child into the world should definitely be experienced. This experience will also greatly affect your view of a woman and her strength. Being "here and now" in that moment is probably the most important. So that a woman has someone to lean on, not only psychologically, but also physically. And I'm not talking about that beautiful moment when you hold your child in your arms for the first time after all this.
