Impact of Support Person's Presence on Labor Outcomes among Primiparous Mothers in a Selected Hospital in Nadiad, Gujarat, India

Background: All pregnant women seek a comforting, encouraging companion during labour to assist them in managing the various difficulties of childbirth, such as pain, anxiety, exhaustion and ambiguity. The concept of “companion of choice at birth” entails having a supportive individual present continuously during labour and delivery. A birthing companion is essential for providing expectant mothers with vital information, procedural techniques and emotional support during labor. They facilitate communication between the medical staff and the mother, help keep her calm, mobile, hydrated and promote a positive environment. Additionally, they assist with Lamaze breathing techniques, guiding the mother through contractions and pushing with less physical tension, ultimately making the labor process smoother and more manageable.

Objective: 1. To evaluate the effectiveness of presence of support person on labour outcome among primi-parturient women in experimental and control group.

To find out the association between labour outcome among primi-parturient women in experimental group and their selected demographic variable.
To find out the association between labour outcome among primi-parturient women in control group and their selected demographic variables.
Methodology: The quantitative research approach with post-test only control group design was used in this study with the sample size 30 in both experimental and control group in the selected Maternal hospital of Nadiad. Convenient sampling technique used for control and experimental group. Self-structured labour progress record to assess the labour progress, Visual analog scale to measure the level of pain and Modified HAM-A to assess the level of anxiety. The inferential and descriptive statistics was used.

Results: The results indicate significant differences between the experimental and control groups in labor progress, pain levels, and anxiety. Labor progress scores, ranging from 0–7 (with lower scores indicating better progress), were significantly lower in the experimental group, indicating better labor progress (p < 0.05). Pain levels assessed using the Visual Analog Scale showed that 10% of the experimental group reported mild pain, 70% moderate, and 20% severe, compared to 0% mild, 20% moderate, and 80% severe in the control group, highlighting less severe pain in the experimental group. Anxiety levels, measured using the modified Hamilton Anxiety Scale, revealed that 73.34% of the experimental group reported mild anxiety, 23.33% moderate, and 3.33% severe, while the control group reported 17.67% mild, 36.66% moderate, and 46.67% severe anxiety, demonstrating significantly lower severe anxiety and higher mild anxiety in the experimental group. These findings suggest that the experimental group experienced better outcomes overall, with improved pain and anxiety management compared to the control group.

Conclusion: The study highlights that having a birth companion during labor significantly improves labor progress and maternal outcomes. Companions provide crucial emotional support, reduce stress, and enhance comfort, leading to better childbirth experiences. Given these benefits, hospitals nationwide should adopt a birth companion policy to ensure continuous support for all birthing individuals, ultimately improving maternal and neonatal health outcomes.