Perception and Experience of Post-partum Women Towards Birth Companions at a Tertiary Hospital and its Catchment Health Centers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abstract

Background: Birth companion refers to a person who provides support to laboring women during child birth. Various studies have shown the benefits of birth companions. The objective of this study was to assess the attitude of mothers towards the involvement of birth companions during child birth at St Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College (SPHMMC) and its selected catchment health centers.

Methodology: The study used a cross-sectional study to determine the perception of postpartum mothers on the involvement of birth companions during child birth.

Result: The study included a total of 393 postpartum women. The finding from the study showed majority of the post-partum women (98.7%) were not allowed to have companions during labor. Among postpartum women 27.3 % has negative attitude towards involvement of birth companions. The commonest reasons mentioned by post-partum women for having negative attitude to this practice included need for privacy, religious values and fear of overburdening family members with stress.

Conclusion: The findings from this study showed that majority of women were denied the option of having a birth companion. The study has also shown the desire to have birth companion isn’t universal among laboring women in our setup. There is a need to understand the socio-cultural values of the community before embarking on widespread implementation of involvement of birth companions.

Key words: Birth companions, post-partum women, Ethiopia