Our goal was to contrast the influence of intermittent and continuous support provided by doulas during labor and delivery on 5 childbirth outcomes. Data were aggregated across 11 clinical trials by means of meta-analytic techniques. Continuous support, when compared with no doula support, was significantly associated with shorter labors (weighted mean difference -1.64 hours, 95% confidence int...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS The process of giving birth is very stressing for the mother. Meanwhile, maternity ward staff's lack of awareness of mothers' fears make mothers feel lonely and helpless. This study aimed to explore women's perceptions of labor support during vaginal delivery. MATERIALS AND METHODS This exploratory qualitative study used qualitative content analysis to explore Iranian moth...

As an alternative to the mainstream medicalization of childbirth, which historically defines pregnancy as an abnormal physical condition and posits the laboring woman as a passive patient in need of control, assistance and repair, the homebirth movement offers a familyor community-centered approach to childbirth. The primary goal of honoring and empowering the laboring woman is argued by homebi...

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of institutional and policy interventions on reducing the rate of cesarean delivery on maternal request (CDMR) in Wenzhou, China. Institutional interventions included health education, painless delivery introduction, and doula care. Additionally, a series of health policies were developed by the Chinese central and local governments to cont...

Abstract Obstetric violence , a term coined by activists in Latin America to describe during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum, is controversial feminist global health policymaking as well obstetric midwifery practice research. We reflect on the both theoretically autoethnographically demonstrate its value addressing problem of embedded within institution. argue that an activist critical co...

Regional analgesia has become the most common method of pain relief used during labor in the United States. Epidural and spinal analgesia are two types of regional analgesia. With epidural analgesia, an indwelling catheter is directed into the epidural space, and the patient receives a continuous infusion or multiple injections of local anesthetic. Spinal injections are usually single injection...

Nearly one-third of all deliveries in the United States are cesarean deliveries. Compared with spontaneous vaginal delivery, cesarean delivery is associated with increased maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. Interventions that decrease the chance of a cesarean delivery include avoiding non-medically indicated induction of labor, avoiding amniotomy, and having a doula present. In Nort...

INTRODUCTION Our objective was to understand the perinatal knowledge and experiences of First Nations women from northwestern Ontario who travel away from their remote communities to give birth. METHODS A systematic review of MEDLINE, HealthSTAR, HAPI, Embase, AMED, PsycINFO and CINAHL was undertaken using Medical Subject Headings and keywords focusing on Canadian Aboriginal (First Nations, M...