When it comes to giving birth, there are plenty of options available for your partner. The right choice is the one that she feels most comfortable with and her midwife believes is best for her and the baby.

• Hospital birth – tthe most popular choice in Sri Lanka, the main benefit that you’ll have doctors and midwives on hand as well as specialist care. And you'll be surrounded by other new mums in the same situation which can be a great comfort. 
• Water birth – seen as less stressful for your baby as they’ll be born into an environment quite like the one they’re used to in the womb. Water births are not common in Sri Lanka. You should check with your doctor if it is possible in your hospital.

As long as your partner’s pregnancy is running smoothly and she is fit and healthy, she’s free to choose the birthing option she feels most comfortable with. And it’s not set in stone – there is room for her to change her mind later. Just make sure you completely understand what she wants and doesn’t want, as you may be asked about her wishes during labour or the birth, if your partner is otherwise too preoccupied!

Your partner will know she’s in labour if she starts to experience contractions – they won’t be too intense at first but will get more frequent and more painful. She might describe it as a pain in her lower back that seems to spread round to the bottom of her bump.

Her waters may break (which can be a rush of liquid or a trickle) but every labour is different and her waters breaking doesn’t necessarily mean that your baby’s birth is imminent. Sometimes this might not happen until later on in labour.

If your partner thinks she’s in labour then she should call her midwife. It’s a good idea for you to have the midwife’s and other important numbers too, in case you have to make the call. 

Unless you have a home birth planned, the midwife will tell her when to go into hospital. Even if you’re not 100% sure whether your partner is in labour or not, it’s worth getting it checked out – just be prepared to be sent home again!

If your partner is planning a hospital birth, there are some really useful things you can do which will help save you time and stress on the big day:
 

• Practise driving to the hospital using different routes, in case your favourite route is jammed.
• Time the journeys, so you know how long it’ll take to get there.
• Check you know where to park; if you’re using a pay car park, find out how much it costs and keep enough spare change in the glove compartment, so you’re not rooting around at the last minute.

Your partner will probably have had her hospital bag packed weeks before this but the last thing on her mind at this point will be remembering things to take, so it’s worth you checking that she has her bag with her, together with her birth plan if she’s written one, and her maternity notes.

With so much attention on packing your partner's bag, it's easy to forget you may need a few things too. So once you've checked her bag is ready to go, pack a separate one for yourself. Here are a few ideas of what to take:

• A change of clothes in case of a lengthy labour
• Swimming trunks if your partner’s planning a water birth
• Toothbrush, toothpaste and deodorant
• Some water and snacks
• Extra change for the car park or phone
• Any prescription medicine you take regularly
• Painkillers – you may need some too!
• Camera/video with a fully charged (and a spare) battery
• Fully charged mobile phone, with a list of key numbers
• A watch to time contractions
• Something to fill in time like an mp3 player or book or magazine

When you first get to hospital for the birth your partner will probably be taken to a room for mums-to-be who’ve just arrived. A midwife will run through a series of checks and tests with her. It may be her own midwife who does this but it’s more likely to be the midwife who’s on duty at the time.

When doctors feel that a normal delivery will put your partner or your baby at too great a risk they will advise her to have a caesarean section. Some women find out they need a caesarean section long before they give birth, but for others the decision might not be made until they go into labour. It’s most likely that she won’t need one, but if she does, don’t worry. It really is a very straightforward procedure that’s over within an hour and all your partner should feel is a little pressure, nothing more.

It takes around 6 weeks to recover from a caesarean section, so your partner will need extra help at home so she can rest and concentrate on her own recovery as well as your beautiful new baby.