"My husband was with me in the delivery room during the birth of our second child. His presence made the labour pain tolerable. It gave me a sense of calm as it had a psychological and emotional effect on me," says Mrs Taliah Chukwuma, a businesswoman.
"We were fortunate that the hospital where I delivered allowed spouses or relatives to be present in delivery rooms. We had been looking forward to the experience," Mrs Chukwuma, one of the Nigerian women who have benefitted from the companionship in labour programme supported by the World Health Organization (WHO) adds.