The Pregnancy is a Family Affair

This article describes a modern way of helping families during pregnancy and birth, called the "whole-family approach." It explains how a birth helper, or doula, can support everyone involved, not just the pregnant person. The main idea is that by helping the whole family, the doula makes the main client feel even more supported. How the Doula Helps Each Family Member For the Partner: The article shows how to change the partner's role from just being there to being a real helper and team member. This involves teaching them what to do during birth, like how to give a massage or speak up for their partner. This makes the partner feel important and confident. For the Kids: It talks about how older children react to a new baby based on their age (like a toddler acting younger or a school-age child getting jealous). The doula helps parents find easy ways to prepare their kids, such as reading special books or including them in simple tasks. For the Grandparents: The article explains that grandparents usually want to help but sometimes give outdated advice or cross boundaries. The doula gives parents simple phrases and ideas to handle these situations politely, so the family can get along better and avoid stress.