The Dish On Dads

A labor nurse's take on 8 species of fathers-to-be

DADS WE'RE IFFY ABOUT
Father Nature massages mom's back when she gets in the Jacuzzi--excellent. But getting naked and hopping in with her--not. Neither is climbing in the bed with her to "stimulate" things (yes, we've seen that happen). We don't care how many body parts mom shows, but please keep yours covered. Even though a lot of hospitals have homelike labor suites, observe some decorum: We nurses are working here.

Techno-Dad juggles cameras (still and video), laptop and cellphone to secure himself a bit of insulation from the actual birth. The line between techno-geek and labor-geek is thin, though. Go ahead-e-mail that first photo, but keep in mind that experiencing birth firsthand is once in a lifetime.