· Recognizes birth as a key experience the mother will remember all her life
· Understands the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a woman in labor
· Assists the woman in preparing for and carrying out her plans for birth
· Stays with the woman throughout the labor
· Provides emotional support, physical comfort measures and an objective viewpoint, as well as helping the woman get the information she needs to make informed decisions
· Facilitates communications between the laboring woman, her partner and her clinical care providers
· Perceives her role as nurturing and protecting the woman’s memory of the birth experience
· Allows the woman’s partner to participate at his/her comfort level
DONA International