The Birth Point that welcomes fathers for the entire duration of the mother and child's hospital stay

Being with the mother throughout her entire hospital stay before giving birth is the important innovation introduced by the Birth Point at the Abano Terme Polyclinic, in the province of Padua, starting July 2026.

The idea is precisely to avoid separating the family during the days following birth: the mother remains hospitalized, the newborn stays with her thanks to rooming-in , and the father/other parent can sleep in the same room, rather than having to return home in the evening. The hospital emphasizes that birth is considered a moment that involves mother, father, and newborn, with particular attention to family privacy.

Essentially, the Abano Terme Birth Point room works like this:

• two beds: one for the mother and one for the father/other parent;
•  newborn in the mother's room as part of rooming-in;
• the second parent can stay for free;
• the goal is to allow the family to stay together even during hospitalization;
• The family's privacy is maintained, rather than having to share a normal hospital room with other mothers.

Shared birth, with the father's presence during the last days of pregnancy and again after the baby's birth, is highly recommended by the WHO (World Health Organization).

And in reality, the benefit of a family member's presence isn't just emotional: research on the continued presence of a person chosen by the woman during labor and delivery highlights benefits both on the mother's experience and, in some cases, on the outcome of the birth. 

1. Mom feels more secure

Having a familiar person by your side, especially a partner, can reduce feelings of loneliness and fear. Their constant presence, reassurance, physical contact, and simply knowing that "someone is with me" help maintain greater confidence and a sense of control. 

This is especially important because childbirth can be a very intense and vulnerable experience.

2. The family member can act as a "bridge" with the team

It does not replace a midwife or doctor, of course, but it can help the mother to communicate:

• what do you want;
• if she is very tired or scared;
• what positions or modes of comfort are benefiting you;
• any preferences already expressed in the birth plan.

The WHO describes this very role: the family member can help with communication and support the woman's preferences.

3. The partner can help concretely

A trained partner can do simple but very helpful things: massage the woman's back, hold her hand, help her change positions, remind her to breathe, accompany her when she moves, and offer water when permitted. These seemingly small interventions, but the WHO includes them among the forms of support that can improve the labor experience. 

4. It can increase the sense of control

The mother no longer experiences the experience as “I am the patient and there are doctors and midwives around me,” but as something she is facing together with a person with whom she has a deep bond.

Research shows a reduction in negative evaluations of the birth experience in women who receive continuous support.

 5. Help the other parent get into the parenting role right away too

This is less easy to measure scientifically, but from a family perspective it is very important.

If the father/partner can stay there, sleep there, see the newborn in the first few hours, and participate in the care, he isn't simply a "visitor." He becomes an integral part of the birth experience.

The Cochrane review , one of the world's leading organizations on evidence-based medicine, which analyzed 27 studies and over 15.800 women, found that ongoing support is associated with:

• increased likelihood of spontaneous vaginal birth;
• shorter labor on average;
• reduced use of analgesia;
• lower probability of operative and cesarean delivery;
• greater satisfaction with the birth experience.

Finally, a scientific review published in 2024 on the relationship between paternal support and breastfeeding analyzed intervention studies and found that interventions that involve and support the father can improve both the initiation and continuation of breastfeeding.

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