Real-Life Decision Making -- Solution
You lead Peter outside and explain he has to be quiet and supportive
for Mary's sake.
Your firm but kind words seem to calm Peter right down, and he apologizes.
"Yeah, I'm sorry about that. It's just that I get so nervous when
someone I love is in pain."
As you reassure him that his wife's pains are perfectly normal and
that she's in good hands with the medical staff and yourself, he breathes
a sigh of relief. He decides to stay outside the birthing room until he calms
down
"Communication is the key to [doula] care," insists Kymberlee Stoner, a
doula and childbirth educator from Vancouver, Washington. "It is important
to be able to talk and listen to the client to see what is going on with the
person as a whole. It is also important to be able to communicate needs to
the clients, [and] talk to them in a way they can understand."
You are glad Peter didn't take your comments the wrong way. To tell
the truth, you're glad he's staying outside -- not because he's
a lousy husband, but because it will give him a chance to relax.