If you were pregnant, would you want the father present at the birth? And if he was there, would he know what to do to support you?

Patrick M Houser is a grandfather and father of 2 sons. It was the birth of his first son which revealed to him the need to understand birth more fully.

We all have a subconscious memory of our birth says Patrick Houser. "We all have a navel. We've all be present at the birth. There are more brain cells pairing up than at any time in our life, and when brain cells pair up that's when memory occurs." ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Patrick’s second son’s arrival, in 1980, was the first documented waterbirth in the USA.
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"We ended up with a 90-minute labour, in a loving caring, supportive environment. I turned our garage into a big birthing room with a jacuzzi and I built a bed platform right next to it. It happened the way it wanted to. It was fabulous."⠀

This has informed his life's work and led him to nearly 25 years of passionate advocacy for birth choices.

Patrick talks to us about:
- What if a father feels anxiety during birth
- What do dads need to know about perceived pain and childbirth?
- What do dads need to know about the time childbirth might take?
- What if a dad doesn’t know if he wants to be a dad
- How can a dad make sure he is emotionally fit for
- How does becoming a father change you
- What do dads need to know about breastfeeding -
- How can a dad be present at birth

"My personal life mission is to be truly helpful. Whether I am going to the mailbox, dealing with a client, or writing my book. That's my north star."⠀⠀⠀⠀

When Patrick first heard a friend say that he wanted to find a way to support dads through birth, he says:

"When that came out of his mouth, every cell in my body woke up. After that gathering, I went out and grabbed him by the collar and said 'We gotta do this!'"⠀