Awareness and Perception of Health Professionals and Mothers towards Birth Companions: Mixed Method Study in St. Paul’s Hospital and Millennium Medical College and its Catchment Centers in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abstract

<p><strong><em>Introduction</em></strong>: Companion of choice at birth is defined as the continuous presence of support person during labor and birth. Various studies have shown the benefits of companion during child birth. The objective of this study was to assess the knowledge, attitude and practice of health care providers and attitude of mothers towards the involvement of birth companions during child birth in St Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College (SPHMMC) and its selected catchment health centers.</p> <p><strong><em>Methodolog</em></strong>y: The study used a cross-sectional study to determine the perception of health care providers and postpartum mothers on the involvement of birth companions during child birth. This finding was supplemented by in depth interview of health care providers who were on practice during the study period in SPHMMC.</p> <p><strong>Result</strong>: The study included a total of 393 postpartum women and 57 health care providers. 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 included need for privacy and fear of overburdening family members with stress. The great proportion of health care providers involved in the study (90 %) have positive attitude towards involvement of birth companions but majority 82.4 % didn’t allow labor companions.</p> <strong>Conclusion: </strong>Since involvement of birth companions is one way we can ensure the quality of care we provide, interventions should be in place to improve the existing situation. Efforts should be made to address difficulties faced with regards to ensuring privacy, accommodating the high burden of laboring women and increasing the awareness of laboring women and health care providers with regards to involvement of birth companions.