PRESENCE OF A COMPANION IN THE SERVICE TO PARTURITION AND CHILDBIRTH DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Abstract

This article aims to know the experiences lived by women during the service to parturition and childbirth in times of the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on the companion. This is a qualitative, descriptive and exploratory research. Ten women who gave birth between March 2020 and August 2021 on Porto Alegre, RS. Data analysis was based on Bardin’s thematic analysis. The results indicate that the companion, even guaranteed by law, was not allowed in some cases. This is a obstetric violence. The interviewees who were unaccompanied reported feelings such as sadness and loneliness, in addition to professional conduct not based on scientific evidence. The pandemic provided insecurity for the parturients and the figure of the companion was an important factor for the experience.