New fathers treated for PTS after seeing their children born

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-2308872/New-fathers-treated-POST-TRAUMATIC-STRESS-witnessing-partners-birth.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

New fathers are being left so traumatised after watching their partners give birth that some are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, according to a new study.

Severe and life-threatening complications in pregnancy can have a big impact on fathers as well as mothers, experts have found.

Oxford University researchers interviewed men about their experiences after their partners experienced complications during birth.

Many told of being left alone in hospital corridors with no clue of what was happening.

Birth can be traumatic for all involved but when it comes to complications, especially if they are life threatening, i'm afraid the mothers needs come first as they must. With staff shortages in many maternity hospitals most of the staff are likely to be involved in dealing with whatever the issue is and fathers will be pushed aside for that, there just may not be time for a member of staff to stand there explaining what is going on to the father at the time.

It may not be right, but it's a fact but I do think the article is right that there should be some form of counselling available afterwards for fathers who have gone through this so they can come to terms with it.

Either that or we go back to the days when fathers weren't in the delivery rooms.

I can see how that would happen...

Nobody want's to see someone they love ripped down the middle as another human being emerges out of them.

Tough shit though, they helped to make the baby so they should be there for the mother when she does the hard stuff...

My ex suffered more than me when I had a very traumatic birth with my daughter, I wasn't taking much in and though I knew the alarms went off etc it was him watching their faces etc and realising just how worried they all were... He was definitely freaked out by it all.

Mama kaz wrote:My ex suffered more than me when I had a very traumatic birth with my daughter, I wasn't taking much in and though I knew the alarms went off etc it was him watching their faces etc and realising just how worried they all were... He was definitely freaked out by it all.

I imagion the images would stay with you longer if your just stood around watching it all happen. When your the person it's happening to, you kind switch off from it all.

I think I'd probably be one of those pathetic types who faint if I was ever someone's birthing partner.

There's generally not much need for fathers to be down at the business end when their partner is delivering a baby so they can usually miss out on most of the gore.

I think for many though, it is the apparent (or real) distress that many women go through which is in turn difficult for their husbands/partners to cope with. It's worth bearing in mind though that for a lot of women, although they seem to be in enormous distress or pain, it is often just the sheer physical effort of delivering the baby which makes it look so acutely traumatic for them.

Dimples wrote:There's generally not much need for fathers to be down at the business end when their partner is delivering a baby so they can usually miss out on most of the gore.

I think for many though, it is the apparent (or real) distress that many women go through which is in turn difficult for their husbands/partners to cope with. It's worth bearing in mind though that for a lot of women, although they seem to be in enormous distress or pain, it is often just the sheer physical effort of delivering the baby which makes it look so acutely traumatic for them.

This article wasn't so much about the gore though, it was about fathers being left out of the loop when things go wrong, for example being left wondering what the hell is going on if the partner is rushed into theatre for a crash section.

Ali wrote:

Dimples wrote:There's generally not much need for fathers to be down at the business end when their partner is delivering a baby so they can usually miss out on most of the gore.

I think for many though, it is the apparent (or real) distress that many women go through which is in turn difficult for their husbands/partners to cope with. It's worth bearing in mind though that for a lot of women, although they seem to be in enormous distress or pain, it is often just the sheer physical effort of delivering the baby which makes it look so acutely traumatic for them.

This article wasn't so much about the gore though, it was about fathers being left out of the loop when things go wrong, for example being left wondering what the hell is going on if the partner is rushed into theatre for a crash section.

I know but I still just wanted to make that point as it's relevant to the topic as a while. I know it can be difficult when things go pear-shaped and the poor father is just left feeling like a bit of a spare part.

My brother went through this very scenario. He became a dad for the first time at age 45 and it was entirely a shock. His partner had a very prolonged labour which became an emergency C section due to a shoulder presentation and one of the baby's feet was up at her shoulder too and became stuck. Fortunately his partner had had a spinal and was conscious throughout, so he was able to remain with her and see their daughter safely delivered but he was utterly shell-shocked by it all. However, as soon as she was delivered and seen to be breathing unaided, the first thing they did was stick her inside his shirt for skin-to-skin contact with him and I think that was the best thing they could have done as his partner was far more "in control" than he was feeling at that point.

Dimples wrote:

Ali wrote:

Dimples wrote:There's generally not much need for fathers to be down at the business end when their partner is delivering a baby so they can usually miss out on most of the gore.

I think for many though, it is the apparent (or real) distress that many women go through which is in turn difficult for their husbands/partners to cope with. It's worth bearing in mind though that for a lot of women, although they seem to be in enormous distress or pain, it is often just the sheer physical effort of delivering the baby which makes it look so acutely traumatic for them.

This article wasn't so much about the gore though, it was about fathers being left out of the loop when things go wrong, for example being left wondering what the hell is going on if the partner is rushed into theatre for a crash section.

I know but I still just wanted to make that point as it's relevant to the topic as a while. I know it can be difficult when things go pear-shaped and the poor father is just left feeling like a bit of a spare part.

My brother went through this very scenario. He became a dad for the first time at age 45 and it was entirely a shock. His partner had a very prolonged labour which became an emergency C section due to a shoulder presentation and one of the baby's feet was up at her shoulder too and became stuck. Fortunately his partner had had a spinal and was conscious throughout, so he was able to remain with her and see their daughter safely delivered but he was utterly shell-shocked by it all. However, as soon as she was delivered and seen to be breathing unaided, the first thing they did was stick her inside his shirt for skin-to-skin contact with him and I think that was the best thing they could have done as his partner was far more "in control" than he was feeling at that point.

Yeah, that's why I agree there should be some sort of counselling for the father and the mum if she wants it after a situation like that.

I remember a case where a woman started haemorrhaging after delivery, the poor father was almost manhandled into the chair with the baby whilst everyone got to work, his face was as white as the blanket round the baby but of course there just wasn't the time to stand there explaining to him what was going on, the staff had a life to save.

Your brothers case sounds like the staff were thinking on their feet though, it gave him something to concentrate on other than what had just happened.

I'd need counselling too I reckon, watching someone push a plum through a pea shooter!

Gabby wrote:I'd need counselling too I reckon, watching someone push a plum through a pea shooter!

It's quite fascinating, the head looks like a big walnut on it's way down.

Gabby wrote:I'd need counselling too I reckon, watching someone push a plum through a pea shooter!

Melon through eye of needle is what it feels like, Gabby. Get it right.

I'm a bit old fashioned when it comes to childbirth. It's women's work and should be attended to with women of the family around...not some swooning lily livered male.

Ali wrote:

Gabby wrote:I'd need counselling too I reckon, watching someone push a plum through a pea shooter!

It's quite fascinating, the head looks like a big walnut on it's way down.

Gross!... no wonder they suffer PTS FFS!

It's not all it cracked up to be to be fair!

Gabby wrote:

Ali wrote:

Gabby wrote:I'd need counselling too I reckon, watching someone push a plum through a pea shooter!

It's quite fascinating, the head looks like a big walnut on it's way down.

Gross!... no wonder they suffer PTS FFS!

Yeah, but as Dimps said they don't really need to be down the business end as it's happening.

Ali wrote:

Gabby wrote:

Ali wrote:

It's quite fascinating, the head looks like a big walnut on it's way down.

Gross!... no wonder they suffer PTS FFS!

Yeah, but as Dimps said they don't really need to be down the business end as it's happening.

They're just nosy, sadistic fookers!

lemon wrote:I'm a bit old fashioned when it comes to childbirth. It's women's work and should be attended to with women of the family around...not some swooning lily livered male.

On 'One Born Every Minute' alot of the women have their mothers there... To me that would be really odd!!
It felt natural and right to have the other person who helped me make the babies there. He was very good to be fair, no swooning at all... I don't think I'd make a very good birthing partner, I go queasy at the site of a nose bleed.

Terry Fuckwit wrote:It's not all it cracked up to be to be fair!

Easy for you to say when you're not the one going through it

lemon wrote:I'm a bit old fashioned when it comes to childbirth. It's women's work and should be attended to with women of the family around...not some swooning lily livered male.

Nah!! I'd have hated to be surrounded by women in my family - or anyone else's for that matter... women are not always as helpful as many believe and many like to regale everyone else with their personal experiences. That can be counter-productive, particularly if their own deliveries have either been as easy as shelling peas... in which case you'd feel like a failure.... or else they've had the most traumatic, prolonged and horrendous labours imaginable, in which case you'd be scared to death!

I thought there was just going to be the two of us and a couple of midwives but in the end I only had one midwife and an obstetrician with scarily large hands and a pair of scissors! I would rather not even have had the obstetrician there, but he was theone who knew how to work the forceps!!

I enjoyed being at the birth of my son. It remains one of my most treasured memories.