for my labour I had my husband, mum & sister there as they are all great supports for me. My father, DMIL & DFIL were waiting outside and were allowed in a few minutes after. DFIL wanted to be there to catch the baby but we had to let him down gently!
It is definately a good idea to have someone look out for your partner, make sure he gets something to eat, etc. But hatever happens, you need to be comfortable enough to let everything hang out!