title: Expectant fathers' roles during labor and birth.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe and explain the expectant father's experience during labor and delivery.
  
  
  METHODS
  A grounded theory methodology was used for data collection and analysis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Semistructured interviews were held in the homes of participants, and data were collected from observations in the labor and delivery rooms.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty couples recruited from five hospitals in the San Francisco Bay area.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study identified three roles that expectant fathers adopted: coach, teammate, and witness.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The roles adopted by expectant fathers were related to the degrees of understanding and mutuality within the couples' relationships. The majority of the men in the study adopted the role of witness.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The current expectations of the father in the role of coach should be reevaluated.
authors.affiliation: Samuel Merritt College, Oakland, CA 94609.
authors.forename: L L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Chapman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric / Q000523:psychology; D005220:Fathers / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006379:Helping Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007743:Labor, Obstetric / Q000523:psychology; D007857:Leadership; D008297:Male; D008393:Marriage / Q000523:psychology; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D011247:Pregnancy; D012380:Role; D012649:Self Concept