Fathers to attend antenatal classes

Chennai: “Earlier men thought the delivery room was not a place they were supposed to be in , but now the trend is slowly changing and more men are coming to us with requests to see their child being born,” says Dr Gowri Meena, obstetrician and gynaecologist, Apollo Hospitals. “Some fathers even want to cut the cord and we allow them to do so.

The baby-father bond starts in the labour ward itself,” she adds, noting that the whole process also increases the emotional bonding between husband and wife.

But husbands are allowed into labour rooms only for normal deliveries. “We usually don’t allow men inside the theatre for a cesarean. Some women are fussy when their husbands are around” says gynaecologist, Dr Mala Raj of Firm Hospitals.

The fathers-to-be, who attend antenatal classes with their  wives, want to know how they can be of help to their wives, says Ms Rakhi Kapoor, founder of Dwi Maternity Studio, which offers a pregnancy management programme.“We ask  couples to go for a walk and do breathing exercises together,” she said.