The Birth Guy's Go-To Guide for New Dads: How to Support Your Partner Through Birth, Breastfeeding, and Beyond

by Brian W. Salmon, Kirsten Brunner

A must-have baby shower gift for expectant dads! In this one-of-a-kind guide, dad, doula, and certified lactation counselor Brian Salmon and perinatal mental health and relationship expert Kirsten Brunner offer practical, modern-day survival tips for expectant dads and birth partners.

Gone are the days when fathers would nervously pace the waiting room while their partners gave birth. Dads are participating in childbirth now more than ever before. However, if you’re like many men, you may feel unprepared, uncomfortable, or even unwelcome in the birth room. For you, this book offers battle-tested tips to help you get in the game and prepare for one of the most incredible adventures of your life.

Based on the author’s Rocking Dads childbirth course, this book will teach you everything you need to know about supporting your partner through birth, breastfeeding, and beyond. In this guide, you’ll discover pointers and advice you won’t find in any other childbirth or breastfeeding guide, including:


A list of items to pack for the hospital that will help mom’s labor go more smoothly

Stealth communication skills that you can utilize during early labor to support mom and keep her in a positive state of mind
How to write a birth plan that the labor and delivery nurses will actually pay attention to
What to say and do—and what not to say and do—when mom is in active labor and feeling all the feelings
A detailed account of what to expect in the delivery room as a birth partner, and how to navigate the unknown terrains when things don’t go as planned
How to help mom achieve proper nipple latch when she attempts breastfeeding for the first time
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, you’ll find tips for maintaining a strong relationship with your partner before, during, and after the birth so that you feel closer than ever when you launch into the wild yet wonderful world of parenthood.

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction

224 pages, Paperback

First published February 2, 2019

Reviews

[Kyra K · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting and fun peak into modern fatherhood.
The authors are clearly experienced in both personal and professional contexts, and provide an extremely helpful insight into what fathers can expect from their new role!
I'll be getting a copy of this for my friends who are expecting their first baby next month, because while it's aimed at dads, I have no doubt that mums would also enjoy this lighthearted but informative look into parenting.

[Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

We listened to this audiobook together, and both found it extremely informative. The author writes with deep care for his readers and the subject material and does a great job of preparing you for the range of experiences to come. It is a good mix of info and real-life examples. The only thing I would add is that the topics covered do not always go fully in-depth, so you may want to supplement with your own research. He leans on the granola side as a doula but never speaks ill of others' birth choices. I would highly recommend this for any birth parents/partners, especially if this is your first rodeo.

[Erik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good and a lot of help! Even though I finished it I will be keeping it around for all the notes I took.

[Antonio Mikulić · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good overview of pregnancy period for dads: explains a lot of procedures and gives insightful information how to prepare.

[Holly Thrasher · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such great advice for Dads! This is the perfect book for all expecting parents! Dads don't get much support when it comes to birth and this guide is so very much needed today. This is the only book you Dads need! It is thoughtful, informative, and a must have!

[Jaimee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any co-parents-to-be in your life? Already a parent of a newborn and could use a pep-talk from a Dad Doula? My favorite Rockin’ Dad, Brian The Birth Guy wrote a book! This is a must-read!

I can actually hear Brian’s voice as he shares all of the best info with partners in pregnancy and parenthood. This book is just technical enough to make you or your partner feel like the jargon of pregnancy, labor and delivery, and parenting aren’t as intimidating as they feel. Brian gives amazing tips for building your relationship strong in the time leading up to labor. Then he takes you through the labor stages, breastfeeding and bringing baby home. #inclusiveofallcoparents #thebirthguy #rockindads

[Zach · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall a quick and informative read. I found some chapters to be very intriguing and I learned a lot. Other chapters were quite bland with a bunch of common sense. The author’s voice comes off as very spiritual wellness/hippie which is kind of different for me. Not sure I liked that very much. I can’t imagine paying some dude a bunch of money to come give some words of encouragement and a few helpful tips during a pregnancy and delivery. Doula has to be one of the most ridiculous made up jobs I have ever heard of.

[Zoe · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are very limited options when it comes to birth partner books not for “dad”. This was the only partner book my library had so I thought, fine, I’ll just see what it’s like, expecting to give up by the first chapter. But I was actually pleasantly surprised. Yes, I had to self-edit “dad” constantly, but the book provided really practical and useful information. I’m glad I read it!

[Steven Polchinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful New Dad Guide

This book was a nice easy read that had some excellent pointers on walking the reader through being a first time parent. I would recommend this to anyone who wants a read that isn’t overly technical but that wants to get more prepared for having their first child.

[Julio César · Rating 3 out of 5]

It taught me a lot about this pregancy process that my wife and I are currently going through, as well as about what's to come in the next few months. I specially enjoyed the labor part and what to do around the hospital in those couple of days. I will surely have this book at hand for a while.

[Melissa Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read for first time dads that are trying to navigate a new baby. This book explains many aspects of the birth process, explains expectations, and allows men to take a proactive approach to helping their partners. A must read for the expectant parents.

[Matthew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good high level intro. Quick and informative read.

[Nathan Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vas a ser padre por primera vez? LÉELO (Muy bueno).

[W Sweet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Packed full of super helpful information for soon to be dad's. From packing lists to birth plans to what breastfeeding will be like, this book has given me helpful and actionable takeaways!

[Ellie Kemfort · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and easy read about pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding. Love that it is written from the perspective of a male doula and a therapist. Definitely a helpful pregnancy read.

[Jay Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for expectant fathers

[Jason Yeung · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.34

[David Basora · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to expect from this, but I think I got nearly everything I could have asked for. This might have been more useful if I had read it right after learning I was going to be a father, instead of past the mid-point of the pregnancy, but I feel much more prepared because I read the book. Brian's writing style is accessible and easy to follow, and I loved that he started by sharing the story of how he got into his field. While I did kind of wish he covered more detail about bottle-feeding as much as he talked about breast-feeding, I know it is important for the families who are breast-feeding to learn as much as possible for the health of mother and child. I would definitely recommend this for any expectant parent looking to get a jump start on helping their pregnant partner with this new adventure. I certainly feel nervous, but the panic has already passed. Until the baby arrives, anyway.

[Beck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got it for my husband to read but it was also very informative for me. The layout was very easy to follow unlike some other birth prep books I've read.