Obstetrics & Gynaecology Department

ENSURING RESPECTFUL MATERNITY CARE

• Ensure privacy of the woman in labour
• Avoid Performing harmful practices
• Provide complete information about the care provided to the patient
• Take informed consent
• Allow choice of position for birth
• Avoid Verbal abuse (insult, intimidation, threats, coercion)
• Provide choice of companion
• Provide continuous support during delivery and avoid abandonment of care (i.e. leaving the woman alone or unattended)
• Ensure confidentiality of the patient
• Allow drink and food during labor
• Provide liberty of movement during labor(e.g., walking, moving around)
• Avoid discrimination based on ethnicity, race, or economic status, including denial of admission due to illegal immigration status
• Keep PW and baby together 24 hours a day. Avoid unnecessary separation of PW and newborn after the birth
• Prevention of institutional violence against women and babies, including disrespectful. Avoid Physical abuse (slapping/hitting)
• Depriving the woman of services in the facility due to lack of payment demanded for it
• Avoidance of the overuse of drugs and technology (such as oxytocin augmentation, episiotomy, cesarean section, incubation, sonograms)
• Skin- to-skin contact of the newborn with the PW immediately after the birth for at least the first hour
• Promoting breastfeeding on demand
• Evidence based care that enhances & optimizes the normal processes of pregnancy, birth, and postpartum
• Other