firstly alan congratulations on your decision.

i am a bit ashamed to admit this, however i remember during the birth of my first child, when i was in transition, my midwife went to lunch and i had a male midwife relieve, i had just had a shot of pethidene, thrown up everywhere and all in all i just wanted out, i heard different voices in the room (i tend to keep my eyes closed alot during labour lol) i opened my eyes and standing there was a male midwife - i cursed and said wtf what are you doing in here, do you enjoy seeing women in pain, at the time i just didn't care and i think my response would have been the same had i had a female midwife change over, it just all happened at the wrong time. he didn't stay in the labour ward with me i don't think as my midwife i originally had was back really quickly.

however a few days later he was on again and i apologised to him, he was great, it didn't seem to phase him and of course being a midwife, he knew that some women seem to just go to a way different place in transition - i know i certainly do, it is a crazy time for me. anyway the days i had him on the ward he was absolutely brilliant, he actually showed me and dh and helped us bath our baby for the first time and he was also wonderful in respect of feeding issues.

anyway i think it is great and i also think it can be a positive thing for the dp's/dh's to have a male midwife caring for the partner

good luck