A doula has been supporting her client through early labor at home. Now that contractions have increased in intensity, they have just arrived at the birth location. The mother's contractions have slowed. The doula's BEST response is:
Explanation
Answer: B - It is normal for contraction patterns to change when a woman moves from home to an unfamiliar location. Once she begins to feel safe, contractions should start to progress again. Creating an environment where she has privacy will help this process. Augmentation is not warranted unless labor completely stalls, and should be used as a last measure. While fear can obstruct labor, a doula can work with a mother to counteract the fear-tension-pain cycle. By supporting her with tension relieving exercises, her pain and fear will likely be lessened. Movement, rather than being sedentary, will help increase contraction strength.
