Is the father involved in the birthing process in france?

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Signilda

Yes, just like here. They can be involved or not be - up to them.

madonna_toller

Mostly yes and being more nervous than the Mum-to-be...

Eclipsepearl

Yes, for normal births (sorry to use that term). For C-sections, it depends on the hospital!!!!

For example, in Strasbourg, the dad is present at CMCO for C-sections if there are no complications. At Adassa clinique, he's not even allowed to look in the door and has to wait *on another floor*!!! At Sainte Anne, only if the anesthesiologist and the Ob are in agreement can he stay. At Hautepierre (U. of Strasbourg medical center), again, he's put out to pasture. I only asked at the American Hospital in Paris and they said it was okay there but my brother-in-law was not allowed at his daughter's scheduled C-section at Rothschild.

Men do NOT attend birth classes. It was an all-female affaire when I took the prenatal classes but by contrast, when I took a class in California, I was the only one there without a partner. They kind of looked at me with pity, until I told them he was back in France (and can't speak English anyway ;)

I never had a C in the end and my husband was very involved. He was helping lifting me, etc. I wanted him to cut the cord but the pushy midwife did it without asking with our first. He did do it for the third. For my second, I did have an epidural and he was sent into the waiting room for that. They don't like the distraction while they're inserting the needle. From all the horror stories of needles not getting inserted right back in the U.S., I didn't protest!

If you want to have something done a certain way, you do have to make your desires known. Otherwise, they do things their way. Don't expect them to ask "Do you want X or Y?" Say right away "Please don't weigh him until we hold him" or "I want to pick him up as soon as he comes out".

I could write a book on this subject so shut me up and contact me if you need any more info. My last will be 4 in February. Use my screenname, at gmail.

Good luck!

Millie

The answer above is a very good and comprehensive one. However, I would not generalize the fact that "men do not attend birth classes". In my experience it is the opposite: all my friends went as couples. The thing is some women prefer going to day-time classes during their maternity leave so their husbands/partners may be at work then but most fathers-to-be prefer to attend the classes. One of my friends' husband was even "lecturing" her during childbirth telling her she was doing it all wrong and not breathing as they had been shown. He nearly got punched in the face!

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