Contact: Kara Dress; 202-367-2434; marketing@lamaze.org

WASHINGTON (June 4, 2007)—Women report positive birth experiences when their caregivers provide information, support and respect for individual choices, according to a new article published in The Journal of Perinatal Education. Research suggests that these key factors have a greater influence on a woman’s birth experience than her amount of pain or type of birth.  

There is a myth—sometimes propagated by maternity care providers—that the only good birth is one where the woman feels no pain. As a result, “women who choose to birth without pain medication often feel unsupported by hospital staff,” says author Kathy McGrath, MSW, CD (DONA), FACCE. “They often are told ‘make it easy on yourself—take the drugs’ or, ‘we don’t need any heroes.’” She adds, “Birth is not a pass or fail test of strength; we must honor and respect women regardless of the path they choose.”

Maternity care providers are responsible for providing information on the risks and rewards for all available options for pain management. Understanding a woman’s beliefs, strengths, past experiences and family history is the key first step for birth professionals to provide appropriate support to women during childbirth. When a woman feels supported, she is more likely to report a positive birth experience, whether she chooses to birth using natural pain-relief strategies, such as movement and breathing techniques taught in Lamaze classes, or medicinal pain relief, such as an epidural.

When a woman hears continual negative messages during labor, it can undermine her self-confidence and ability to effectively birth her baby. Reducing distractions, negativity, time constraints and unnecessary interventions, helps build a positive environment and allows a woman to focus her energy on the hard work of birth. Birth, similar to other “rites of passage” involves elements of challenge and pain. When properly supported during labor and birth, a woman is more likely to view these elements as contributing to a satisfying and positive experience.

Genuine support involves actively encouraging a woman’s competence, rather than dictating the way she “should” think and feel during childbirth. The role of maternity care providers is to guide women with the benefit of their knowledge and experience, helping women feel confident to follow their respective path to childbirth. Providing support and respect demonstrates trust in a woman’s ability to reach her goals, ultimately making the process more positive for her and the professional staff involved.

“Support—both emotional and physical—builds a woman’s confidence and has been shown to ease a woman’s labor and birth,” says Judith Lothian, RN, PhD, LCCE, FACCE, co-author of The Official Lamaze Guide: Giving Birth with Confidence. “Women who are confident in themselves are confident in their ability to birth their babies.”

Building a positive birth environment also can take place before the birth. Childbirth education classes, such as Lamaze, provide women with the tools and information they need to make educated choices during labor and birth. Lamaze instructors are trained to deliver resources and confidence-building techniques for labor and birth. To find a Lamaze class in your area, visit www.lamaze.org.

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The Journal of Perinatal Education is the leading peer-reviewed journal for childbirth educators. The Journal is published quarterly by Lamaze International for readers who provide parent education in the areas of childbirth, pregnancy, breastfeeding, neonatal care, postpartum, early parenting and young family development. For more information about The Journal of Perinatal Education and Lamaze International, visit www.lamaze.org.

Taken from http://www.lamaze.org/Default.aspx?tabid=502