Ep 109: Prepare Your Partner for Homebirth with The Paternal Partner

Did your spouse have any quality resources to help him prepare for homebirth?     Today, we have the privilege of speaking to the man behind the coolest YouTube find ever, The Paternal Partner.  Sam Evans, a homebirth dad of two has taken the guesswork out of the dad birth prep.  This episode is full of insight when it comes to partner preparation, and Sam gives us some incredible tips and resources along the way.   This episode is so perfectly aligned with some crazy exciting news I have for you all.  There’s a new *totally free* learning opportunity for all of you, and it’s perfect for everyone considering homebirth and for those who have already made the decision.  It’s called Homebirth Mythbusters, and registration is available now!  To reserve your seat and learn the 5 myths you need to bust to have a happy homebirth, head over to myhappyhomebirth.com/mythbusters.  And tell ALLLLL of your friends, because this event is going to be a party!  GO NOW!   Thanks so much, Ellie!  If you’ll send me an email at [email protected], I’ll be sure to send you a happy homebirth podcast sticker.  And if *you* have a moment to head over to apple podcasts and leave a hopefully 5-star rating and review, I will be forever grateful.   Show Notes Sam's wife, Sarah, knew she wanted to have children, and she knew she wanted a homebirth.  When she met Sam, she let him know this from the beginning. Sam was totally on board, and when they became pregnant with their first babe, they knew they'd be hiring a midwife. The experience went wonderfully, though Sam realized there were some aspects of preparation that he'd overlooked.  He didn't realize how much there was to know-- what the heck is Vitamin K?!! He also learned that his feelings of tension and stress could impact both his wife and the baby. Second time around, he and his wife were once again on the homebirth train.   Their daughter was born on the later side of the spectrum, which can increase the possibility of meconium aspiration. She was born safely and was a beautiful pink.  However, as she rested on her mother's chest, she suddenly became limp and was struggling to breathe.   Sarah and Sam's midwife took confident control of the situation and performed neonatal resuscitation until the paramedics arrived.  The family was transported to the hospital, where their daughter Maggie was able to receive more help.     This experience, although not what they would have hoped, was still what they would have chosen over the hospital.   Since that time, Sam has created and founded The Paternal Partner-- a YouTube channel and website designed for dads.  He's teaching dads what they need to know about pregnancy, labor, birth and parenting in fun, quick videos.     This is such a fantastic resource, and I'm so grateful to be able to share it with you all!   Sam gives his top 10 tips for dads in the episode, so click to listen!     Show Links: https://www.thepaternalpartner.com Home Births Demystified for Dads Castor Oil Video  Home Birth: How to Talk to Your Worried Loved Ones (R&B Jam) The Price of Labor & Delivery   Episode Roundup:   What a solid episode!  I’m thrilled to have had Sam on the podcast, and I look forward to seeing his channel take off— it’s such a needed resource!   As we head into the episode roundup, I want to linger on two important points we made today. A homebirth doesn’t have to be perfect to be safe.  The story of Sam’s second baby’s birth is a perfect example of emergencies are handled at home.  Yes, emergencies still happen at home.  Albeit, rarely, but they do happen!  Luckily, Sam and Sarah had a midwife who was experienced and fully trustworthy.  She took confident control of the situation and kept everyone safe as they transported to the hospital for more support. We can use birth to capitalize on our relationships.  When we come together as partners and spend time considering how we’ll work together, both in labor and in parenthood, we truly se