Early in pregnancy, it seems that nine months is forever and that there is plenty of time to do everything that has to be done. It is all too easy, especially for busy people, to postpone "getting into" the pregnancy. Now, suddenly, the baby is almost due. Time has flown by. As the mother's birth partner, you realize she is counting on you to help her through childbirth. Do you feel ready? Can you help her? What do you know about labor? Do you know what to do when? What should you do now to get ready for the baby?

It is not too late to learn and do what needs to be done. But you had better start right away – a few weeks before the due date is truly the "last minute," especially since many babies arrive early. This first chapter is basically a checklist of things you should do before labor starts to help ensure that you will work well with the mother during the labor and birth. Also included are suggestions about how you can prepare beforehand for the baby's arrival.

If you haven't already done the things described in the following pages, try to get them done a few weeks before the due date or at least before labor starts.

Reserve this routine for any time during labor when the mother reacts in any of these ways:

• She hits an emotional low.
• She is in despair, weeps or cries out.
• She wants to give up or feels she cannot go on.
• She is very tense and cannot relax.
• She is in a great deal of pain.

The Take-Charge Routine is exactly that. You move in close and do all you can to help the mother until she regains her inner strength. Usually her despair is brief, and with your help, she can pass through it, and her spirits will rise. Use whatever parts of this routine seem appropriate:

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