Experiences of the Father During Labor, Birth and Puerperium, Pereira, Colombia

Abstract

Fathers had not been taken into consideration during labor and delivery due to a limited view of the support they could provide and the interaction was limited to spaces in waiting rooms without obtaining enough details about the mother and child. Paternal accompaniment strengthens the mother positively, affirming her of her capacity to give life, self-control and resilience in the face of momentary stress. The benefits that the newborn receives from companionship allows a rapid transition to extrauterine life, childbirth stress is reduced for the couple and provides peace of mind and confidence. The present project aimed to describe the father’s experiences of companionship during labor, delivery and/or puerperium. It was a qualitative interpretative type with in-depth interviews where possible, in order to delve into the phenomenon studied from the description of the experiences of the father’s accompaniment during the physiological and emotional processes. This allowed the identification of unique aspects in the study that favored the woman by highlighting the compassionate and appreciative gaze of the men, giving it a special and unique meaning.