Recently we gave the first of 3 workshops at one of the public hospitals in Tegucigalpa for nurses on doula care for birthing women. There were a dozen nurses in attendance and they were very responsive. Silvia talked about the importance of a mother’s emotional state while in labour and the fact that labour can be quicker and less painful, if a mother feels supported by the people around her. Respect, privacy and dignity are crucial to a mother’s positive birth experience and more positive outcomes for both mothers and babies. Nurses are a key ingredient, as family members are not allowed in the labor and delivery wards of the public hospitals in Honduras. Silvia gave some practical tips that nurses can use such as, massage, quiet voices, dimmed lights, words of encouragement and helping women understand what is happening. She also demonstrated the use of a peanut ball for women confined to their beds. Refreshments were served and there was some time for visiting before the nurses had to go back to work. It was another step towards improving birth for women in Honduras.
daraluzhonduras.org 