How To Stay Calm When Your Wife Is in Labor

Take another tip from Lamaze—breathe! Inhale deeply, count to ten, and exhale. Deep breathing physically relaxes you by slowing your heart rate.

Talk to your wife—about anything other than what’s happening. It will divert her from the pain and you from panic.

Make reassuring gestures—hold her hand, stroke her hair, give her a back or foot massage. Doing something nice for someone else triggers the release of endorphins, which will boost your spirits.

Play some relaxing, quiet music—nothing with a strong beat—and when you start to feel overwhelmed, sit, close your eyes, and focus on the soothing tune.

Have a drink—of orange juice, that is. Vitamin C lowers stress hormones in the bloodstream—and the effect is almost immediate. Don’t like juice? A 1,000 mg tablet of vitamin C will work, too.

Chew some gum. A Columbia University study found that chewing relaxes people by reducing muscular tension.

Visualize something soothing. Brain scans show that if you close your eyes and picture a peaceful scene, you’ll start producing relaxing alpha waves in less than 30 seconds.

If things become too intense and you’re worried you’re going to faint, have a seat and tuck your head between your knees—or step out of the room completely for a breath of fresh air. Better to take a quick break than to create your very own medical emergency.