Joseph Perrotta of Wesley Chapel, Fla., remembers the birth of his daughter, Arianna Gia, now 3. He put on gloves and caught his daughter as the couple's doula and midwife stood in the background. Perrotta followed a birth plan so he could be a guardian of the couple's birth memories.

He prepared ahead of time for the birth of his second child by making relaxation and meditation tapes for Michelle. He brought massage instruments, a birthing ball and created a home atmosphere in the birthing suite.

"We had a birth plan so that we were prepared," he says. "If I had any questions, the doulas and midwife were both very helpful. Nowadays, it's not where you drop your wife off at the front door, park the car and she calls you when the baby is there. Men can start playing a more active role in the birth plan."

In preparing for the big day, consider hiring a doula to help provide both you and your partner support. Birth doulas don't take the place of the father in the delivery room or at home, but can take the edge off so a father can follow through on the birth plan even when his partner is ready to throw in the towel.

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