In the news: Study finds that the presence of a partner can increase the pain of childbirth

[KateMumsnet]

Hello all

Interesting story in the news today: a new study seems to suggest that, if their partner is present, some women will experience an increase in the amount of pain they feel when giving birth.

We wondered what you thought: did having your other half make giving birth more bearable - or did you feel it actually made things harder? Have you chosen to give birth without your partner - or might you do so if you gave birth again? Do let us know your thoughts.

I'm another who would have hated my mother or sister being there. My DH was amazing.

He reduced my pain the first time by counting and helping me use my tens properly. He was there to share my euphoria at how fantastic the second birth was.

How about a campaign, for a 'shit filter' on studies about childbirth MNHQ?

(or more seriously getting MN to support the likes of Ben Goldacre and Margret McCartney and the politics of bollocks like this in influencing our healthcare system)

The Patient Paradox
Bad Pharma

For anyone who is interested and hasn't read.

Ah bless you Kate, you're gonna get clobbered

I couldn't tell you if labour compares to having a little lazer on my finger, because my birth plan contained one instruction: epidural.

For 99% of the time DH was bored shitless. He tried very, very hard not to be and not to show it but he really, really was. He did enjoy getting into scrubs for the "exciting" bit when things went awry for a bit. For that half an hour though he was worth his blue cotton swathed weight in gold.

The study sounds as if it hasn't found what the claims and the reporting on the study as so often the case with science stuff is dire.

“We recommend that health professionals ask their patients rather than assume the kind of social support they want. People know what they prefer,” she said.

But I have to say - do we really need a study to tell us this ^^^.

DH was less annoying than MW with first - she kept asking bloody minor questions when I wanted to go into myself. I have to say DH was pretty good - there when I needed support and had sense to leave me alone when I clearly wanted to be.

My female relatives would have been a nightmare - and very stressful though I know other mothers who loved having their female relatives there.

I had two HB - last one MW did tell me I was being silly when I said if I did go to hospital I would be by myself as we had no childcare -apparently she knew our circumstances better than us and people round here didn't labour in the hospitals with no family or friends present - thankfully HB happened.

With my first birth, DH was there and he was so annoying that I wanted to smash his face in - singing to me! . That birth was extremely painful probably because it was a syntocinon induction and I only had pethidine.

He was there (similarly annoying) at the next two births which were very different and much less painful.

My last birth was also extremely painful (gas and air only) but I was tense as it was a VBAC and DS3 was almost 10lb with a very large head! DH could not be there because we were let down for childcare and tbh it was great with just the midwife and I. Definitely my best birth experience.

TBH if I had thought about it before, I wouldn't have had him there for any of them!