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

Yemeni women’s perceptions of own authority during childbirth: What does it have to do with achieving the Millennium Development Goals?

“…It is interesting that the element of birth support is by far the most frequently addressed in research and intervention studies. The value of birth support for a positive delivery outcome and birth experience is well documented in international research (Scott et al, 1999;Pascali-Bonaro and Kroeger, 2004). Birth support has been introduced in situations where women had no authority.…”

Iranian mothers' perceptions of the impact of the environment on psychological birth trauma: A qualitative study

“…9,13 To abate this problem, a number of studies reported the benefits of providing support and reassurance to help women to maintain control of childbirth. [14][15][16][17][18][19][20] In addition, it was recommended that health-care services should provide an environment as a supportive cornerstone for childbearing women to promote effective care and optimize health outcomes. 12,15,20 With regard to non-human environment, scholars recognized the importance of the interaction between human and the built environment 21,22 ; several studies explored relationship between hospital design and patient health.…”

A survey of Russian women regarding the presence of a companion during labor

“…In all cultures, childbirth is considered a period of great vulnerability for a woman, and support systems are an essential component of the birthing experience. Several randomized trials have shown that women who are supported during labor-by a female relative [5,[7][8][9], a partner (e.g. husband) [1,10], another social support person [11], or a doula [12][13][14][15]-experience less anxiety, have fewer complications, have more spontaneous deliveries, require less anesthesia, and need fewer medical interventions.…”