What is the role of the companion during delivery?

Who is the companion in the delivery room?

It is any person close to the mother that she chooses Because she knows they will provide the support she will need during childbirth. The companion may be the husband, the midwife she just met when she came to the hospital, the doula who accompanied her throughout the pregnancy, the mother, or a close friend. Although, based on my observations, the least supportive companions are mothers, it has happened several times that a mother cannot bear to see her daughter in pain during labor, so she begins to cry and feels fear and stress, which are transmitted to her daughter, who is suffering from the pain of labor and childbirth.

What is the role of the companion in the delivery room?

The companion must be prepared and informed about the stages of labor and the process of childbirth. The expecting mother must share the birth plan with her companion, especially if they are a family member. It is also essential for the companion to control himself and control his reactions. Because it dramatically affects the mother's response during childbirth. Therefore, the role of the birth companion is summarized as follows:

1| Emotional support

The prenatal phase, labor, delivery, and beyond are difficult and complex phases, especially for new mothers. Therefore, women need emotional support and support at each of these critical stages to relieve anxiety and stress.

2| Provide information

Knowledge is power, so when a midwife tells a mother what she will feel in the next stage of labor and what she should do to relieve the pain, or when she tells her that, she will feel a sting and pressure. At the same time, the doctor inserts the epidural; it will help the mother be prepared for anything. This makes the midwife one of the best companions, even if the mother does not know her before. The midwife is available throughout the labor stages, is medically knowledgeable, and can provide all necessary support. The spouse or doula can also provide this information. Therefore, it is recommended that the husband attend prenatal classes and learn how to support his wife during childbirth. He will remind her to practice breathing techniques and how to push the baby, as he learned with her during these lessons.

3| Implementing the birth plan

Sharing the birth plan with the accompanying person is essential, making them the advocates who speak on behalf of the mother during childbirth. Due to the severity of the pain and stress, she may not be able to tell the medical staff about the plan she has prepared, like refusing to refuse the routine internal examination if there is no medical reason and other things that a woman desires during childbirth.

Companions’ anecdotes

Perhaps the most funny and often repeated situation is husbands fainting during their wives’ births 😊

One of the pleasant situations that happened to me recently was that a pregnant woman came to the maternity ward on the day of my shift, and even though labor had not begun, she asked her doctor to admit her because I was on duty that day. She wanted me to be present during her delivery. This is because she had come several months ago, suffering from a panic attack during pregnancy, and I accompanied her during this attack and helped her successfully overcome it through breathing and by reassuring her with words and guidance. During this birth, I accompanied this mother and her husband, who was also very nervous, but it was an easy birth, and the mother and child were fine.

One of the strangest companions who accompanied women during childbirth was the father. One woman insisted on her father’s presence during childbirth, who was wonderfully supportive, but his emotions overcame him, and he was also affected by his daughter’s pain.