Fathers’ Experiences of Being Present at an Unplanned Out-of-Hospital Birth: A Qualitative Study

Figures & data

Figure 1 Participant recruitment process.

Table 1 Interview Guide

1	Please tell me what happened the day your baby was born.
2	Were you prepared for the possibility that the birth might happen before you reached the hospital? What thoughts had you had about the birth beforehand?
3	What did you feel when you realized that you would not get to the hospital before the baby was born?
4	What was your experience of the birth? How did you help/what did you do?
5	What are your thoughts and feelings about what happened?
6	Did you receive any care or debriefing after the birth? If so, in what way?
7	How do you think health care staff should provide care to fathers who experience an unplanned birth outside hospital?

Table 2 Code Groups and Subgroups from the Analysis Process

Code Groups	Subgroups
Outwardly calm in a stormy sea	Waited at home a bit too long Totally unprepared in a stressful situation Keep a cool head when time is short
Handing over responsibility to professionals	Never been at such a loss before Reassuring to get contact with health professionals Previous experience and knowledge reduce stress
Getting the weight off your shoulders and feeling the joy	Baby’s first cry takes the weight off your shoulders Involvement and responsibility affect attachment The experience strengthens the couple’s relationship
Left all alone with your feelings	Feeling that you are playing second fiddle Alone in coping with your emotions Desire for information before the birth