Birth Companions

Program Overview

Program Overview

What do Birth Companions Do?

• Before you give birth, they visit you to talk about your birth plan and answer any of your questions.
• When you give birth, they stay with you, and comfort you with massages, back rubs, and soothing compresses.
• A few days after you give birth, they visit you and your baby. They can talk with you about feeding and caring for your baby.

What skills do Birth Companions Have?

• DONA International Training to help women giving birth
• Nursing education from Johns Hopkins University
• Spanish and other language skills

Mothers who are supported by Birth Companions show more affectionate interaction with their infants. This involves significantly more smiling, talking, andstroking.

Six weeks after childbirth, women who use Birth Companions are more likely to breastfeed (51% compared to 29%), are significantly less anxious, have lower scores on a test of depression, and have higher levels of self-esteem.

About the Program

About the Program

The Birth Companions Program was one of six organizations nationally recognized as a finalist for the 16th annual Monroe E. Trout Premier Cares Award.

The Birth Companions Program trains student nurses to serve in a doula role and accompany women and families during the childbirth process.  Students receive doula training from a DONA-certified trainer and learn about community health from school faculty when they take the course:

Student nurse doulas provide physical, emotional and educational support and attend births at the hospital of the mother’s choosing in the Baltimore metropolitan area.

Before labor, Birth Companions will:

• Meet with the woman (and her partner) to become acquainted, discuss priorities, explore any fears and concerns, and plan how they can work best as a team.
• help develop a personal Birth Plan, including preferences regarding pain management, coping with pain and fatigue, and interactions between the woman, partner and family members.

During labor, Birth Companions will:

• Assist pregnant women in having a satisfying birth experience.
• Advocate for the mother and support her decisions throughout the childbirth process.
• Provide emotional support, physical comfort, and information women often need during labor.
• Help with comfort techniques such as relaxation, massage and positioning.
• Work only at the woman’s request. They are not employees of the medical staff or the hospital.
• Provide their service free of charge.

Birth Companions will not:

• Perform clinical tasks, such as blood pressure, fetal heart monitoring, vaginal exams, or administer medications.
• Make decisions for the mother and her family. Instead, they discuss concerns, suggest options, and get information necessary for the family to make informed decisions.

History

History

1997: The Birth Companions Program was started by nursing students interested in doula care. Faculty members offered the training and students providedon-call doula services at the Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.

1998: A two-credit clinical course was taught by a trainer certified by the Doulas of North America (DONA). The course taught theories of maternal and community health nursing and the use of supportive techniques during childbirth, such as massage, breathing methods, different body positions, cold compresses, hot showers, and birthing balls.

Students learn about post-partum health, infant care, and breastfeeding. They learn to communicate with doctors and nurses about a mother’s birth plan and help identify other community resources for women.

Today: To receive credit for the course:

students must provide doula care to one client, giving a prenatal and a postpartum visit to the mother and attending her labor and birth at the hospital of the mother's choosing in the Baltimore metropolitan area. Students who choose to take on additional clients are paid for their services through the Community Outreach program.

Resources