Siblings at birth: Professional philosophy and preparation

Increasingly more families are searching for caregivers and organizations that will accommodate their expectations to have siblings participate more actively in the childbearing experience. Family‐centered organizations need to translate their philosophy into flexible protocols that can facilitate family interaction and particularly sibling presence during labor and delivery. The authors articulate a professional practice philosophy and offer guidelines that can help nurses prepare clients for a family labor and delivery experience. It is the professional nurse who assumes the pivotal position in health care settings since she is charged with the responsibility of meshing nursing surveillance activities with organization and client values. The professional nurse must take the lead in developing family‐oriented education programs for the variety of clients that the organization serves. The presence of siblings at birth must be addressed by individual professionals and organizations, resolved as a contemporary controversy, and when sought by clients considered part of family‐centered care. Adult‐child interaction during the birth of a sibling may safeguard families from some introgenic effects of traditional hospital birth practices.