The birth partner’s role during labour: preparing together

A recommended presence, not merely a tolerated one

The World Health Organization recommends that every woman can be accompanied by a companion of her choice throughout labour and birth (WHO, 2018). In France, the national health authority asks that every woman receive continuous, individual support adapted to her wishes (HAS, 2017).

UK guidance says the same: care professionals should encourage support from the birth companion or companions a woman has chosen, and respect her choice if she wishes to use breathing and relaxation (NICE, 2023). The partner therefore has a recognised place beside the care team, never instead of it.

What research says about continuous support

A Cochrane review of 26 trials involving almost 16,000 women compared births with and without continuous support. Women who were supported continuously were slightly less likely to use pain relief, more likely to have a spontaneous vaginal birth, and less likely to report a negative birth experience (Bohren et al., 2017).

These results are encouraging, but they have limits worth knowing: some of the evidence is of low quality, no study could be blinded, and the support studied was often given by a trained person, not only by a partner. The takeaway: attentive, constant presence matters, and it is worth preparing.

The partner’s four roles on the day

The partner’s role is neither to “manage” the birth nor to control it. It is rather to create a calm, safe space around the mother-to-be, in which she can focus on what she is going through. In practice, the role comes down to four things:

• being there, constantly: a hand on the shoulder, a look, a gentle word are often enough;
• guiding the breathing, by voice or touch, if she wishes, and recalling the images or phrases you prepared together;
• looking after the atmosphere: light, noise, comings and goings, as far as the setting allows;
• liaising with the care team: passing on your wishes, asking the questions, helping to make a decision when needed.

What the partner can prepare during pregnancy

A role this important is not improvised on the day. During pregnancy, the partner can learn how labour unfolds, so as not to discover its stages anxiously; practise breathing and relaxation with the mother-to-be regularly, until they feel familiar; and know your wishes for the birth, so as to voice them if she does not have the energy.

In the UK, NHS antenatal classes are free, and some welcome a partner (NHS). They are a good starting point, to complete with a preparation designed for two.

And for the partner themselves

Being present does not mean solving everything. A partner may feel powerless in the face of what the mother-to-be is going through: that is normal, and it can be prepared for too. Knowing in advance what they can do, and what is beyond their control, helps them stay calm and available.

Many couples discover in this preparation a new way of being together that does not end with the birth. That is the spirit of the Méthode Souffle: preparing together, each with their own place.