Emotional considerations
With all the activity surrounding the birth, the heroics, the attention and the dramatics, the woman herself can be forgotten. Often the focus goes onto 'the person at the scene', downplaying the important role the woman played in the birth of her own baby.
As the partner or support...
Be aware that she has just had a fearful, possibly undignified and unplanned birth experience and she may need to talk about this with someone. If you, as her partner, are constantly recounting your story to friends and relatives, the woman can feel angry and ignored. Be sensitive to her feelings.
As the woman...
Women who have their babies this way will experience a range of feelings. Some may feel shocked about experiencing a
fast labour and birth, others possibly embarrassed about giving birth in public. You may feel annoyed and / or angry about dealing with all the media attention and the focus on your partner, or the person who was with you when you had the baby.
A few women will be sensitive to the anxiety, or fear, that was generated by the people around them, as a result of things happening too quickly and beyond their control. They may have felt overwhelmed by how they were related to in the situation.
After the birth, some women may experience feelings of sadness or disappointment. They could feel they missed the labour and birth experience (in a sense), as all their energy and focus was consumed with having to cope and deal with the 'sudden labour' that unfolded around them. It may be that the birth seems surreal to you and you need time to accept an experience that was beyond your control.
Information sources
Nasser N, Sullivan, E A. Australia's mothers and babies 1999, Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) National Perinatal Statistics Unit Series, Number 11, Sydney 2001.