INTRODUCTION
Position
The Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN) asserts that continuous labor support is critical to achieving the best birth outcomes.
Continuous labor support is a powerful tool, resulting in improved birth outcomes. In partnership with the birthing patient, the nurse conducts an assessment and collaboratively creates a trauma-informed individualized plan of care, implementing shared decision-making to promote ongoing emotional, physical, spiritual, psychological, informational, and partner support (Bohren et al., 2017; Heelan-Fancher & Edmonds, 2021; Najafi et al., 2017; Vogel & Coffin, 2021). Respectful maternity care includes maintaining dignity, privacy, and confidentiality; ensuring freedom from harm and mistreatment; and enabling informed choice and continuous support during labor and birth (AWHONN, 2022b). This plan incorporates the person’s preferences and expectations for childbirth. The nurse integrates the birthing person’s chosen support team—partners, family, friends, doulas—into the care process to assist in achieving the person’s birth goals with continuous compassionate support (Weiseth et al., 2022).