ABSTRACT
Despite numerous studies focusing on the childbirth experiences of gestational parents, the experiences of birth partners have been less well studied. The literature that does exist mostly concerns experiences of birth partners who are also the biological fathers of the baby, and the romantic partner of the woman who has given birth. However, the experiences of non-gestational LGBTQ+ birth partners are significantly less well studied, with the majority of research focusing on cisgendered lesbian/bisexual birth partners. Whilst there may be similarities in experiences to cisgendered heterosexual fathers, other aspects of their experience are likely to be different for non-gestational LGBTQ+ parents and therefore warrant exploration in their own right. This chapter will outline experiences of LGBTQ+ birth partners during birth, explore the similarities and/or differences to cisgendered heterosexual fathers, and examine the care these parents need during birth, including recommendations for how midwives, obstetricians, and other birth workers can help support them to support the birthing parent.
