Labour is a profound and often stressful event in a woman’s life, accompanied by significant pain and heightened anxiety. Despite being a natural physiological process, institutional deliveries often lack the emotional support women need, as many hospitals restrict the presence of companions during childbirth. The World Health Organization (WHO) strongly recommends birth companionship as a simple, cost-effective intervention to improve maternal comfort, reduce anxiety, and facilitate better labour outcomes. In India, however, its practice remains limited in most institutional settings. This quasi-experimental study was conducted at Rajiv Gandhi Government Women & Children Hospital (RGGW&CH), Puducherry, with 60 parturient mothers. Thirty mothers in the experimental group were supported by trained female birth companions, while 30 in the control group received standard hospital care. The companions underwent a structured educational programme focusing on emotional reassurance, comfort measures, encouragement of mobility, and support during labour. Labour pain was measured using a standardized pain assessment scale, and anxiety was assessed using a Visual Analogue Scale. Findings revealed that mothers accompanied by educated birth companions had significantly reduced pain and anxiety compared with the control group (p<0.05). In addition, mothers in the experimental group expressed higher satisfaction and better coping ability. Significant associations were noted between demographic factors such as parity and gravida with maternal outcomes. The study concludes that educational programmes for female birth companions represent a low-cost and effective nursing intervention. Wider integration of trained birth companions into institutional maternity care can positively transform childbirth experiences.
Praveena et al. (Sun,) studied this question.