When you’re a dad in a birthing suite, you probably feel about as useful as a concrete parachute.
Chris Judd certainly said he felt “powerless” as his TV presenter wife Bec gave birth to each of their four children.
“Short of the old hand hold, or very occasionally encouraging words, I think it’s best to just stay out of the way and accept that it’s a huge thing that your wife’s going through and you’re unfortunately, powerless to help,” the former AFL footballer says on the latest episode of Hello Bump: The Pointy End.
Chris told podcast host Monique Bowley that he, like most dads, wanted to help during the birth of their eldest son Oscar, but knew that he really couldn’t.
Top Comments
Hmm - not sure I agree that husbands can’t do anything in the delivery suite. My husband was a champion. He helped convince me to try water injections, and when I was too much in pain to take in the information our Midwife was relating, he stepped up and took over the decision making process.
Between him and my mum, they drove their thumbs into my lower back with each contraction over a 24 hour period, as my son was posterior, until I finally had an epidural and they both crashed out on the floor/sofa for a quick nap.
Also - I wish the hoopla about cords being wrapped around necks of babies wouldn’t be so dramatized on here. It’s really quite common - I believe around 30%. Remember babies don’t breathe air until they are birthed. My son had his cord around his neck, and it wasn’t until close to 2 hours of pushing with his heart rate dropping to 50 beats from 180 with each contraction that a Doctor was consulted, and even then I was given an additional 5 mins to push my boy out unassisted. Midwives and doctors are very prepared for cords wrapped around necks.
What a unique and insightful story.