The Birth Guy's Go-To Guide for New Dads

How to Support Your Partner Through Birth, Breastfeeding, and Beyond

By: Brian W. Salmon Doula CLC, Kirsten Brunner MA LPC, Chris Pegula - foreword

Narrated by: Daniel Jones

Length: 6 hrs and 14 mins

Publisher's summary

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. 

©2019 Brian W. Salmon and Kristen Brunner (P)2019 New Harbinger Publications

Great book, terrible narrator.

Get a different narrator, the soft hush tones that this narrator uses is patronizing. The book is well written and has lots of great information I haven't read/listened to any Dad related books but talking about what is covered in this book with our Doctor and Nurse practitioner they have agreed with most of the material in here, one thing that I noticed that our nurse practitioner doesn't agree with is the contraction times and how they mean you are in active labor if less than 5 minutes. All in all, most of what is in this book is great information for first time Dads and it will benefit you greatly. Dads, don't start something you will want to stop.

Much better than I expected

My wife bought me this book, and I thought this would be some dumb non-informative cliche - I was so wrong! Lots of excellent knowledge on making plans in the build-up, what to expect during and after birth, breastfeeding techniques, and bringing the baby home.

Highly recommend it, even to expecting mothers!

A must read for expectant fathers

Everything a Dad needs to prepare himself for what's coming. Would highly recommend especially for any couple considering a birthing center or home birth

I (the wife) read it first before gave it to hubby

over all it gave good info. I think I will have him read it

I don't agree with everything said such as Contractions = pain because that's not aways the case. There are ways to have pain free births (check out Hypnobirthing). Over all it was good!

loved it. made me appreciate mothers even more.

i loved this book. i would definitely recommend it. it made me appreciate mother even more.

New dads: step by step approach

I really enjoyed Salmon and Brunner's book, both the audio and paper versions. It's broken down in a simple manner and gets to the point quickly and efficiently. It provides good tools for supporting my wife practically and psycho-emotionally. The pdf file provided has exercises to get you ready for the birth and for the postpartum period. There is also a video with different supporting exercises you can do with your partner by using a rebozo.