Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Nurses, Families, and Doulas: An Overview of Different Roles in Childbirth

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Understanding Doulas and Childbirth

  • 336 Accesses

Abstract

Generally speaking, there are three groups of people who provide support to the laboring woman during labor and delivery: nurses, partners, and family. These groups are able to provide emotional and physical support, each in a unique way. Nurses are the primary providers of medical support. They ensure the labor is progressing and both mother and baby are enduring labor without signs of emergent physical trauma. As the nurses are tending to the medical needs of the patient, family and partners are able to provide comfort and emotional care to the woman. They are able to offer comfort measures to meet the woman’s emotional needs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
eBook
USD 19.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 24.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 54.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Adams, E., & Bianchi, A. L. (2008). A practical approach to labor support. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing, 37, 106–111.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Amram, N. L., Klein, M. C., Mok, H., Simkin, P., Lindstrom, K., & Grant, J. (2014). How birth doulas help clients adapt to changes in circumstances, clinical care, and client preferences during labor. The Journal of Perinatal Education, 23(2), 96–103. doi:10.1891/1058-1243.23.2.96.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Anderson, C. J., & Kilpatrick, C. (2012). Supporting patients’ birth plans: Theories, strategies and implications for nurses. Nursing for Women's Health, 16(3), 210–218. doi:10.1111/j.1751-486X.2012.01732.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bäckström, C., & Hertfelt Wahn, E. (2011). Support during labour: First-time fathers’ descriptions of requested and received support during the birth of their child. Midwifery, 27(1), 67–73. doi:10.1016/j.midw.2009.07.001.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Camann, W. (2014). A history of pain relief during childbirth. In The wondrous story of anesthesia (pp. 847–858). New York: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Colligan, L., Potts, H. W., Finn, C. T., & Sinkin, R. A. (2015). Cognitive workload changes for nurses transitioning from a legacy system with paper documentation to a commercial electronic health record. International Journal of Medical Informatics, 84(7), 469–476.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eftekhary, S., Klein, M. C., & Xu, S. Y. (2010). The life of a Canadian doula: Successes, confusion, and conflict. Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Canada, 32(7), 642–649.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fitzgerald v. Porter Memorial. 523 F. 2d 716 (7th Cir. 1975).

    Google Scholar 

  • Gagnon, A. J., & Waghorn, K. (1996). Supportive care by maternity nurses: A work sampling study in an intrapartum unit. Birth (Berkeley, Calif.), 23(1), 1–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gilliland, A. L. (2011). After praise and encouragement: Emotional support strategies used by birth doulas in the USA and Canada. Midwifery, 27(4), 525–531. doi:10.1016/j.midw.2010.04.006.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hendrich, A., Chow, M. P., Skierczynski, B. A., & Lu, Z. (2008). A 36-hospital time and motion study: How do medical-surgical nurses spend their time? The Permanente Journal, 12(3), 25.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hodnett, E. D., Gates, S., Hofmeyr, G. J., & Sakala, C. (2005). Continuous support for women during childbirth. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2

    Google Scholar 

  • Hodnett, E. D., Gates, S., Hofmeyr, G.J., & Sakala, C. (2012). Continuous support for women during childbirth. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Issue 10. Art. No.: CD003766. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD003766.pub4

  • Johanson, R., Newburn, M., & Macfarlane, A. (2002). Has the medicalisation of childbirth gone too far? British Medical Journal, 324(7342), 892–895. doi:10.1136/bmj.324.7342.892.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, M. P. (2002). The implications of unfulfilled expectations and perceived pressure to attend the birth on men’s stress levels following birth attendance: A longitudinal study. Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and Gynecology, 23(3), 173–182.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kayne, M. A., Greulich, M. B., & Albers, L. L. (2001). Doulas: An alternative yet complementary addition to care during childbirth. Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology, 44(4), 692–703.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Klaus, M., & Klaus, P. (2010). Academy of breastfeeding medicine founder’s lecture: Maternity care re-evaluated. Breastfeeding Medicine, 5(1), 3–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lally, J. E., Thomson, R. G., MacPhail, S., & Exley, C. (2014). Pain relief in labour: A qualitative study to determine how to support women to make decisions about pain relief in labour. BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth, 14(1), 6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacDorman, M. F., Declercq, E., & Menacker, F. (2011). Trends and characteristics of home births in the United States by race and ethnicity, 1990–2006. Birth, 38(1), 17–23. doi:10.1111/j.1523-536X.2010.00444.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MacDorman, M. F., Mathews, T. J., & Declercq, E. R. (2012). Home births in the United States,1990–2009. US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. Retrieved from http://dhmh.md.gov/midwives/Documents/Declercq-2009-HBdatabrief.pdf

  • Madden, K. L., Turnbull, D., Cyna, A. M., Adelson, P., & Wilkinson, C. (2013). Pain relief for childbirth: The preferences of pregnant women, midwives and obstetricians. Women and Birth, 26(1), 33–40.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Madi, B. C., Sandall, J., Bennett, R., & Macleod, C. (1999). Effects of female relative support in labor: A randomized controlled trial. Birth: Issues in Perinatal Care, 26(1), 4–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Malacrida, C., & Boulton, T. (2013). The best laid plans? Women’s choices, expectations and experiences in childbirth. Health, 18, 41–59. 1363459313476964.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martens, P. J. (2000). Does breastfeeding education affect nursing staff beliefs, exclusive breastfeeding rates, and baby-friendly hospital initiative compliance? The experience of a small, rural Canadian hospital. Journal of Human Lactation, 16(4), 309–318. doi:10.1177/089033440001600407.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Munro, S., Kornelsen, J., & Grzybowski, S. (2013). Models of maternity care in rural environments: Barriers and attributes of interprofessional collaboration with midwives. Midwifery, 29(6), 646–652. doi:10.1016/j.midw.2012.06.004.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Papagni, K., & Buckner, E. (2006). Doula support and attitudes of intrapartum nurses: A qualitative study from the patient’s perspective. The Journal of Perinatal Education, 15(1), 11. doi:10.1624/105812406X92949.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Phillips, C. R. (2003). Family-centered maternity care. Burlington: Jones & Bartlett Learning.

    Google Scholar 

  • Regan, M., McElroy, K. G., & Moore, K. (2013). Choice? Factors that influence women’s decision making for childbirth. The Journal of Perinatal Education, 22(3), 171–180. doi:10.1891/1058-1243.22.3.171.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sapountzi-Krepia, D., Psychogiou, M., Sakellari, E., Tsiligiri, M., & Vehvilainen-Julkunen, K. (2014). Greek fathers’ experiences from their wife’s/partner’s labour and delivery: A qualitative approach. International Journal of Nursing Practice, 21, 470–477. doi:10.1111/ijn.12326.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sleutel, M., Schultz, S., & Wyble, K. (2007). Nurses’ views of factors that help and hinder their intrapartum care. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic, and Neonatal Nursing, 36(3), 203–211.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smid, M., Campero, L., Cragin, L., Hernandez, D. G., & Walker, D. (2010). Bringing two worlds together: Exploring the integration of traditional midwives as doulas in Mexican public hospitals. Health Care for Women International, 31(6), 475–498. doi:10.1080/07399331003628438.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, A. C. (2011). Role ambiguity and role conflict in nurse case managers: An integrative review. Professional Case Management, 16(4), 182–196. doi:10.1097/NCM.0b013e318218845b.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smyth, S., Spence, D., & Murray, K. (2015). Does antenatal education prepare fathers for their role as birth partners and for parenthood? British Journal of Midwifery, 23(5), 336–342.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • UNICEF. (2015). The baby-friendly hospital initiative. Retrieved from http://www.unicef.org/programme/breastfeeding/baby.htm

  • Walker, D. S., Visger, J. M., & Rossie, D. (2009). Contemporary childbirth education models. Journal of Midwifery and Women's Health, 54(6), 469–476. doi:10.1016/j.jmwh.2009.02.013.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, North Dakota, USA

    Cheryl A. Hunter

  2. A.T. Still University, Allen, Texas, USA

    Abby Hurst Ph.D. candidate

Authors
  1. Cheryl A. Hunter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Abby Hurst Ph.D. candidate
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Copyright information

© 2016 The Author(s)

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Hunter, C.A., Hurst, A. (2016). Nurses, Families, and Doulas: An Overview of Different Roles in Childbirth. In: Understanding Doulas and Childbirth. Palgrave Macmillan, New York. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-48536-6_2

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-48536-6_2

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, New York

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-137-48535-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-137-48536-6

  • eBook Packages: Social SciencesSocial Sciences (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation