The Role of Nurses in Supporting Companionship for Pregnant Women during Childbirth

Abstract

Pregnant women, especially during their first pregnancy, often experience anxiety, fear, stress, and pain during labor and delivery. This situation can lead to negative childbirth experiences for both pregnant women and their families. Encouraging the use of a birth companion is a common practice in many countries and is regarded as an essential role that nurses should endorse. It is the responsibility of nurses to educate and clarify the particulars of preparation for both the pregnant women and their family, commencing from the pregnancy phase. Good preparation is helpful for pregnant women to decide on a suitable birth companion before delivery. Regarding the chosen companion, they should be trained to enhance knowledge of the different stages of labor and be capable of offering the necessary support and care to the pregnant woman. Being well-training, the companions for pregnant women are competent to provide necessary information, facilitate physical and emotional support, and act as a mediator of understanding.  Therefore, throughout the antenatal and labor phases, nurses should play an important role in supporting and encouraging birth companions to effectively fulfill their vital roles in caring for and supporting the pregnant woman during childbirth.  The activities of nurses in supporting birth companions for pregnant women during childbirth leads to several advantages, such as providing comfort to the pregnant woman during the waiting period and labor and significantly reducing the workload of obstetric nurses, especially in emotional support for the first-time pregnant women.  However, in the current situation, most public hospitals in Thailand do not allow relatives to be companions in delivery room.  As a result, pregnant women and their families opt for a costly caesarean section delivery to reduce the anxiety and duration of labor.  Thus, the recommendation of guidelines for the preparation of birth companions should be considered and included in the hospital policy, while obstetric nurses should be prepared to support birth companions, by utilizing empirical evidence in their practices. This approach can significantly impact the success of having birth companions and reducing healthcare cost as well.