BIRTH IN PARTNERSHIP

Birth in Partnership

Birth In Partnership

Aim

The aim of this essay to explore the influence of support during the birthing process upon the woman's pain experience. Factors that influence the provision of support will also be discussed further.

Introduction

Support person is the woman's chosen companions, which could form of a team including the father of the baby, family, friends, midwife, doctor, other professional attendants who present. The woman needs to decide who should offer her comfort and protection to feel herself uninhibited and safe (Robertson, 1997). The meaning of one-to-one continuous support during labour means not only emotional support but also has a strong positive effect on the physiology and outcomes of birthing process. Support during birth means the need for companionship with empathy and help (Simkin, 1992).

Support during birth has been described as having four components. Firstly, emotional support, which including empowering the woman, praise reassurance, listening and continuous presence for the supporting person during the birthing process. Secondly, informational support which results of explanations and suggestions and also advice and information. Thirdly, physical support for instance using massage, cold face washer for cooling, offer drinks. Fourthly advocacy when the support people representing the woman's wishes to others and acting on her behalf, when requested (Hodnett, 2003). Overall, the four dimensions described have a strong effect on the woman's pain experience when the woman supported during her birthing process.

Research finding show that having a support person present at birth have a strong positive effect of the outcome of the birth, which is associated with lower use of pharmacological analgesia. A trial looking the women's preferences found that having contionous support, women feel more in control of their labour and feeling better about their labour experience than expected (Hofmyer & Nikodem 1991). Furthermore, in a meta-analysis by Scott (1999) reviewed 11 randomized controlled trials involved 4391 women, compared continous support by female doulas during labour with no doula support. The review was classified as emotional and social what was given by midwives, student midwives and lay women with experience of birth. The outcome showed that the women presence of a doula had reduction in analgesia and oxytocin augmentation compared with non doula support.

However in some cases woman managing better on her own, for example the want the support person on some occasion to leave the room. On the other hand the woman should not left alone during the labour because can have a powerful effect on the length of birth.

A support person offers a continuous, peaceful, undisturbed presence, which is rewarding to the person who is marvelous about the way the birth happens {Robertson, 1997).

If the midwife knows the woman prior her labour and she feels that the woman would feel different about and would change her mind about the pain relief in labour after the birth, than midwife would encourage the woman to try to cope without analgesia. This is a good chance for student midwives to practice their empowerment in supporting mothers during birth as in some module of care ...