Faint at the sight of blood!

Posted by Brenda Lane Nov 20, 2006

One of the more common reasons I have found that women hire me as a doula often comes out at the prenatal visit. They usually say something like, "My husband is a wimp when it comes to hospitals," or "He feels faint at the sight of blood."

I never scoff at anyone's fears since, truth be told, I have my own. I have a growing fear of heights which seems to be getting worse as I get older. I went to an awards show in Washington DC recently and had MAJOR vertigo sitting in the balcony for 2 hours. Like it or not, that was a real fear for me and I could hardly wait to leave the theater.

Even in the birthing room, I can sympathize with the fathers since I have felt a bit faint on occasion. I remember attending my first birth of twins and after 24 hours without eating any "real" food, I almost passed out in the operating room. Can you imagine? A doula passing out! I quickly realized how important it was for me to be eating and drinking on a regular basis.

So I can relate in more than one way to those squeamish husbands, which is why I write the article entitled, Husband doesn't like blood! Admitting that you have a fear of something is commendable. Doing something about it by adding to your support team is even better!

What did you do about your squeamish husband? Share your story.

Have a terrific Thanksgiving week with your family :)

Brenda