ABSTRACT
Psychological care of the woman and her birth partner during a birth emergency is an important element of the management of a birth emergency. The previous chapters have focused on life-saving measures and professional considerations. The physical well-being of the woman and her baby is paramount, as is professional competence. The psychological well-being of the woman and her partner may not seem as crucial at the time of a birth emergency but occurrence of an emergency can result in long-lasting adverse effects, including flashbacks and nightmares, panic attacks and disrupted relationships with baby and partner.1 Emotional support needs to be provided during and after a birth emergency, as evidenced by the following quotes from qualitative research (Reference 1, p. 332):
Two months after experiencing a significant postpartum haemorrhage, ‘…the staff and care me and the babies received
were excellent. Just the emotional side of the labour and birth still bothers me’2
… they do what is easiest to save your life but the care of the mind is not looked at, at all (p. 34).3
