The birth environment can support or hinder physiologic birth. Although most births occur in hospitals, there has been an increase in requests for home and birth center births. Nurses can support physiologic birth in different environments by ensuring a calm environment that helps reduce stress hormones known to slow labor. In any birth setting, nurses can encourage the use of facilities and equipment that support a physiologic labor and birth and aid the transition of the newborn.
Keywords: birth center; birth environment; home birth; hospital birth; labor support; physiologic birth.
Copyright © 2016 AWHONN, the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.