Dads and Doulas

I've been thinking a lot about dads and doulas. Both dads for my upcoming births are very keen to be active participants in supporting their wives and one in particular was concerned that a doula could usurp his role. It's something that I have to be very conscious of because I do have the instinct to swoop in and comfort and do my thing. I try to model the behavior for the dads if that is to be my role. In some births though, Dad wants to be there to see his child being born but does not want to be active in support -- for whatever reason... personal comfort level, past experiences, cultural or religious beliefs. And that's OK too, honestly. My husband is one who isn't entirely comfortable with the whole biological machine thing. Honestly, if it wasn't so important to me, I think he'd rather be in the waiting room.

So, dads, doulas, interwebs? Any thoughts on how doulas and dads can complement each other?

Interesting links I've found regarding this!
DONA International: Dads and Doulas

Kim James: Do Doulas Replace Dads? (I love Kim James, I really do!)