Birth Companionship: Perceptions of Postnatal Mothers in Tamale Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Childbirth is a stressful and challenging experience in the life of reproductive women. Most women going through this process do that without companionship from family members despite the demands and challenges accompanying labour. Literature on companionship during labour is inadequate and the practice is rare in hospitals in Ghana. This study therefore explored the perceptions of postnatal mothers about companionship during labour. The study adopted a qualitative exploratory descriptive design with the social support conceptual model as a guide to the study. Using a semi-structured interview guide, data were collected through face-to-face in-depth interviews with fourteen purposively selected mothers who delivered at the Tamale Teaching Hospital. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. After thematic content analysis of the transcribed data, five major themes were derived. These were; desire for companionship during labour, desired sources of companionship during labour, desired types of companionship during labour, perceived barriers to companionship and experiences of childbirth in a health facility. In conclusion, the findings suggest that there is an imminent need for companionship during labour. However, some institutional challenges inhibit the pursuit for companionship during labour. These findings have implications for policy formulations, future research and nursing practice.