UK: Should dads be in the delivery room?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8377099.stm

Not sure there's much debate there...the headline is a bit sensationalist, but the article does project the balances view that a couple needs to take that decision on an individual basis - not a blanket view yay or nay on whether dad should be there.  My husband will be - not because he SHOULD be, but because he WANTS to be (I want him!).

Yea it was a bit sensationlist and it wasn't even the Mail.   

You're correct, it is not a blanket yay or nay but it still beggars belief in my eyes that, for most of us probably, the husband is the most important person in that room. After the mother and midwife of course. I know my two wives wanted me in there and I would not have missed it for the world.

The presence of an anxious male partner in the labour room makes the woman tense and slows her production of the hormone oxytocin, which aids the process of labour, so the French doctor contends 

I would have thought that just the act of being in an operating theatre would slow the production of oxytocin.

[...] the husband is the most important person in that room.

In my case, my husband was the one who realized there was a potential life-threatening problem. He was the one who acted quickly and sorted things out.

if my husband had not been there through all 19 hours of labour and emergency c-section, he would no longer be my husband.

I think some hubbys can be more of a nuisance than help...but just like with everything else, it all depends on the person.  Some men aren't compassionate or helpful (or just don't know how to deal with stress) and if the wife is moaning about how horrible everything is (or how much pain she's in or whatever), they can actually make the woman feel worse (whether it's on purpose or not) which could possibly delay labour and birth.

My mommy was a gem when I was in labour for 49 hours.

I think some hubbys can be more of a nuisance than help...but just like with everything else, it all depends on the person.  Some men aren't compassionate or helpful (or just don't know how to deal with stress) and if the wife is moaning about how horrible everything is (or how much pain she's in or whatever), they can actually make the woman feel worse (whether it's on purpose or not) which could possibly delay labour and birth.

My mommy was a gem when I was in labour for 49 hours.

I think this is the point of the article.  Most husbands/partners are probably great support and wonderful to have there, but it's not for EVERYone and shouldn't be blanketly thought so.  So even though it's now the cultural norm, couples should still think about the choices they have, even including whether the husband waits outside and someone else is the birth partner (friend, mother, whoever).