Compassionate Maternity Care

by Amy Nguyen 

Being able to work as a doula with Dar a Luz Honduras has been an incredibly rewarding and eye-opening experience. I have been working at one of the hospitals for the past three days and already have seen how modeling compassionate and respectful care has had a large impact on the maternity ward. As a doula here, this can be through holding hands, giving massages, verbal reassurance, or giving the mothers reminders or suggestions on how to manage the pain, which is especially helpful since no family members are allowed into the unit.  Much of the staff is supportive of the doulas and there are many student doctors here, who can be the ones to bring more compassionate care to all of Honduras.

Dar a Luz is currently producing a video to address human rights during childbirth, respectful maternity care, and obstetric violence. The contents have been approved by the Health Department of Honduras and the video will be distributed to hospitals and health education centers around the country to aid in providing consistency of care.

Amy, Silvia and Lic. Iris, thanks Amy!

As a doula in a foreign country, I have found that the advice Dar a Luz gives rings true: what is most important is to bring a compassionate and open heart.

– Amy, writing from Santa Lucía, Honduras