Very often, labor is extremely confusing, traumatic, and painful. IT can be a time when adrenaline runs high, emotions are all over the place, and the tension in the air is thick. Occasionally, it can be hard for the woman, too!
In many ways, men often feel extremely panicked when you start labor. This can happen for a variety of reasons. It may be that your husband is used to being, at least in his mind, in control of things. He may usually be able to set his schedule, and to determine what he’s doing at work, for example. However, going into labor isn’t something that he (or you, for that matter) can schedule. It will happen whenever your body is ready for it to happen.
Another reason that your husband might panic when you start labor is that he is worried for you. Often, when a woman has a medical issue of any sort, her husband has a hard time knowing that there isn’t much of anything he can do to help her. He can’t remove her appendix, for example, and he may feel like he is useless in the labor and delivery process.
To help your husband from panicking when you start labor, it is important that you establish some things ahead of time. Help him to know exactly how things will happen, when you will go to the hospital, and what to expect before and after. This will help him to feel more in control of things. You might also try to make sure that he has something to do when you start labor. Tell him that you need his help, for example, with carrying a labor bag, or some other useful tasks. Let him know that you need him to be calm for you to be calm.
The main thing that you can do to keep your husband from panicking when you start labor is just to talk to him about it ahead of time. It may not prevent it, but it might help.
