Natnael Dechasa Gemeda presented a university-wide seminar regarding labor companionship at Dire Dawa University.

1. Presenter- Natnael DechasaGemeda(MSc)
LABOR COMPANIONSHIPAND CONTINUOUS
FAMILY SUPPORT DURING FACILITY BASED
CHILD BIRTH IN ETHIOPIA.
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2. SEMINAR TITLE
LABOR COMPANIONSHIP AND CONTINUOUS FAMILY
SUPPORT DURING FACILITY BASED CHILD BIRTH IN
ETHIOPIA.
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3. Outline of presentation
• Introduction.
• Objectives.
• WHO & EFMH Recommendations.
• Extent to which it is implemented.
• Factors affecting service.
• Experience of developed countries.
• Recommendations.
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 Labor companionship:-refers to continuous physical
and emotional support during labor delivery from the
person she prefers in addition to health care provider
(WHO, 2018).
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Introduction

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Introduction…
Prior to the medicalization of childbirth, women in our
communities continually get support of companion
during labor and child birth.
However, since the introduction of facility-based
deliveries, there has been a decline in this practice.
Which is highly discouraging women from seeking
facility based child birth.

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Provide safe environment in which they can receive both
physical and emotional support from their families as
well as health professionals
(Hogan et al., 2015)
Introduction…

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Women in labor may benefited from...
Having companion physically by...
• Receiving a massage
• Gentle care
• Provision of a bedpan
• Changing of bedclothes
• Provision of food and drink &
• Help to adopt the most comfortable position.
Introduction…

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Studies regarding the area also revealed that…
Using LCSH…
 Increase maternal satisfaction (Scott et al., 2017).
 Increase likelihood of giving birth spontaneously(Banda et al., 2017).
 Decrease the chance to be mistreated and abused (Sosa et al., 2015).
 Require less intrapartum analgesia. (Hodnett et al., 2019) .
 Increase chance to have baby with normal APGAR score. (Hodn
Introduction…

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WHO recommend LCSH for positive childbirth
experience and included as one of the standards for
improving the quality of maternal and newborn care in
health facilities (WHO,2016).
EFMH also aspires to promote labor companionship, and
officially includes it among the key components of
respectful maternity care starting from 2020. (EFMH, 2020).
WHO & EFMH
Recommendation

10. I. State the extent to which labor companion ship is
recently implemented in Ethiopian health facilities.
II. Describe restraints to fully implement the service in
our country.
III.Discuss on experience of developed country
regarding the service.
IV.Recommend based on studies findings.
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Objective of this seminar.

11. Globally
A WHO multi-country-based survey conducted in 22 World
countries in 2020 shows only half of women (50.4%)
reported having a companion of choice during labor .
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Extent to which LCSH implemented.
Globaly

12. .
Africa.
Tanzania 44.7% ,(Dynes et al., 2020).
Kenya 88% ,(Afulani et al., 2019).
Ghana 27% ,(Agabe et al.,2019)
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Extent to which LCSH implemented.
Africa

13. .
Ethiopia.
Arba Minch ,12 % (Getahun et al., 2022).
Debre Markos ,14.6 % (Asratie et al., 2021).
Bahir Dar ,17.1 % (Natnael et al.,2022)
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Extent to which LCSH implemented
Our country.

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Factors associated with LCSH utilization.
 Economic status.
 Educational status .
 Residence .
 Having ANC visit.
(Afulani et al., 2018, Getahun et al., 2022,Asratie et al., 2021, Dynes et al., 2019).
Determinants factor for LCSH utilization.
 Parity
 Having good knowledge.
 Giving birth at health center.

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Reason why health professional doesn’t allow
.....continuous family support during labor in labor room.
Qualitative findings regarding service providers.
 Inconvenient ward set
up.
“…it is more of the setup which is preventing us…”
 Women’s privacy. “...the provider is the only person who should see their
nakedness...”
 Respect the woman's
wishes
“… if the mother who is in labor says …I do not want
anyone around until I deliver. just we preserve that as her
right..”
 Some attendants'
disrespectful behavior.
“…some caretakers are so stubborn they don’t want to
listen to the instructions..”
 Lack of awareness on
protocols .
“...I hadn't heard if they have such right.....”
(Natnael et al.,2022)

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Brazil & Russia
 Have policy that enforce health care providers
to allow labor companion & included it in their
national law.
(Dulfe, 2016, Bakhta and Lee, 2010).
What if it is implemented in our country ???
Experience of developed country.

17. Recommendation
(Based on findings)
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National ministry of education.
 Encouraging the community to educate girls and to keep
them in school is recommended.
Federal ministry of health.
 Structural interventions and re-design labor wards to
have adequate space to accommodate companions and
partition them to ensure patient privacy.
 Encourage and train healthcare providers to implement
policies related to companionship utilization.
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Healthcare providers.
 During ANC, providers should inform the women and
their partners about their right to have a labor
companion during labor in the health facility and its
possible benefit.
Researchers.
 Consider other studies that are strong enough to
determine cause of low utilization of LCSH by involving
both service receiver and service provider.
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Recommendation

19. Acknowledgement
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 To department of midwifery
 To CMHS RCE office.
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is
human right
....but among us....
Who respect it & considered
being human is enough to have that right?
?

21. Thank you
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I. How can we pronounce & make it routine service in our
country?
II. What are possible directions to be settled to tackle
restraints to fully apply the service in our health setup?
III.How can we engage stakeholders and promote the service
in our country.
IV. What if we includes it among components of routine
ANC counseling?
Discussion issues