Husband/partner involvement as a companion of choice during labor and childbirth in Nigeria: A qualitative study

Having a husband/partner as a companion of choice (COC) throughout labor and delivery is an intervention for improving women’s birth experience and outcomes. Despite these advantages, experiences of husband/partner involvement as a COC in Nigeria remain poorly documented. We conducted a qualitative study to explore the experiences of men and women in a union who had recently experienced husbands/partners involvement as a COC during labor and childbirth. A total of 31 in-depth interviews were conducted in two states in Nigeria. All interviews were tape-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and thematically analyzed using the hybrid approach with the aid of NVivo, a qualitative data analysis software. Three broad themes emerged from the narratives: (i) the process and practice of male involvement as a COC, (ii) the benefits of male involvement as a COC, and (iii) the disadvantages. The process and practice included male COC participation as either an unwritten rule or optional, no prior preparation, insistence on presence, voluntary participation/joint choice, primarily a role of emotional support, and motives beyond promoting a positive birth experience. The benefits revolved around compassion and empathy, postpartum support, curbing intimate partner violence and son preference, facilitated/smoother delivery, and acceptance of family planning. Participants expressed disadvantages such as the potential to induce intimate partner violence and postpartum sexual strain. The findings provide valuable insights for policy development in Nigeria to harness the benefits of male involvement as COC during labor and childbirth and minimize the disadvantages.