To Coach or Not?

MSNBC.COM -- Women who were coached gave birth an average of 13 minutes faster than women who were given no instruction. The women studied all gave birth and without an epidural and averaged 14 hours, making 13 minutes seem like possibly not worth it. Especially since they're now studying a possible link between decreased bladder capacity post-pregnancy in women who were coached.

And couldn't coaching add more stress to mom and baby and possibly even coach-slash-dad? Especially if mom yells at dad to shut up? (I don't remember this happening in our case, but I've heard plenty of stories where someone has had to be told, and sometimes tersely "You know what? I know you're trying to be helpful and I know I asked you to be here. I know this isn't going to sound grateful. But shut up and go away for awhile. I love you, but I can't have you here right now.")

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