How can I support my partner during birth in Iceland?

Your role is to support your partner. Heilsuvera describes the partner’s role during birth as presence, affection, encouragement and care. Your support can help your partner feel accompanied while the midwives and other birth staff provide care. Stay close, pay attention to what your partner needs and work together with the people caring for them.

Practical comfort can make a difference. Heilsuvera mentions a cool cloth on the forehead, refreshing drinks and ice as ways a partner can help. It also describes changing positions and using different comfort measures during labour. You can help your partner try the positions or comfort measures they want, while allowing them to decide what feels right for them.

Your own preparation matters too. Heilsuvera says that cooperation between everyone involved in the birth is important. Talk with your partner during pregnancy about how they would like you to support them. Discuss what kind of encouragement they prefer and how you can help if they need to communicate with the birth team.

You can speak up by asking questions. If you or your partner do not understand what is happening, ask the midwife or other birth staff to explain. Your role is to support your partner and help communication, rather than to provide medical care yourself. The birth team remains responsible for the professional care of the mother and baby.

The number of support people can depend on the birth setting. At Landspítali’s birth ward, the official guidance says that one support person is recommended during birth. In most cases, the partner is the chosen support person. The guidance also says that women who need another support person should discuss this when they call the ward before coming in or when they arrive.

Your partner’s birth setting also matters. Icelandic official guidance lists home birth, midwife-led birth settings and hospital birth as possible options. The final choice depends on individual needs, risk factors and where the family lives. Some settings specifically state that the partner can stay throughout the birth and afterwards. If circumstances change during birth or more support is needed, transfer to hospital may be necessary.

The first hours after birth are a quiet family time. At Landspítali, the family normally remains on the birth ward for about two hours after the birth. The placenta is delivered and the perineal area is checked. The baby usually goes to the breast, is weighed, measured and examined by a midwife, and parents are offered vitamin K for the baby. Staff try to avoid separating mother and baby during this early adjustment period.

Privacy is part of the support. Landspítali says that visits to women giving birth and visits during the first hours after birth are not considered desirable, except in exceptional circumstances. The hospital explains that these early hours are important for bonding between parents and the newborn and for establishing breastfeeding. As a birth partner, giving the family this calm time is part of your role.

The next step depends on how the birth and the family are doing. After the stay on the birth ward, the family may move to the pregnancy and postpartum ward, where the stay is generally 4 to 72 hours according to circumstances. Most families can then be discharged to midwife home care. If the birth has gone well, direct discharge from the birth ward to midwife home care can also be possible after a four-hour stay and a paediatric examination of the baby.

Your support continues after the birth. Stay attentive to your partner and baby, help with practical needs and follow the instructions of the midwife and other staff. The exact arrangements after birth depend on the place of birth and the family’s circumstances, so ask the staff caring for you if you are unsure what happens next.

Questions parents ask

Official sources

• Fæðingarvakt - Þjónusta ↗

Last checked: 2 October 2026