Continuous female companionship during childbirth: a crucial resource in times of stress or calm

Continuous support by a lay woman during labor and delivery facilitates birth, enhances the mother’s memory of the experience, strengthens mother-infant bonding, increases breastfeeding success, and significantly reduces many forms of medical intervention, including cesarean delivery and the use of...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of midwifery & women's health 2004-07, Vol.49 (S1), p.19-27
Main Authors: Pascali-Bonaro, Debra, Kroeger, Mary
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Attitude to Health
Caregivers - psychology
childbirth
continuous support
Delivery, Obstetric - methods
Delivery, Obstetric - psychology
developing countries
disasters
doula
Female
Global Health
Humans
Infant, Newborn
Interpersonal Relations
labor support
Labor, Obstetric - psychology
massage
Midwifery - standards
Mothers - psychology
Nursing
obstetric labor
Parturition - psychology
Pregnancy
Social Support
stress
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Summary:Continuous support by a lay woman during labor and delivery facilitates birth, enhances the mother’s memory of the experience, strengthens mother-infant bonding, increases breastfeeding success, and significantly reduces many forms of medical intervention, including cesarean delivery and the use of analgesia, anesthesia, vacuum extraction, and forceps. The contribution of doula care has become increasingly available in industrial countries and is beginning to be adopted in hospitals in underdeveloped countries. Research continues to demonstrate the far-reaching value of supportive companionship as a corollary to professional health care during birth. Mothers who are at risk because of medical or social factors and those delivering in situations of stress, including disasters, can benefit greatly from labor support. J Midwifery Womens Health 2004;49(suppl 1):19–27 © 2004 by the American College of Nurse-Midwives.
ISSN:1526-9523
1542-2011
DOI:10.1016/j.jmwh.2004.04.017