Table 4.

Inclusion and exclusion criteria for facilities and study participants

Participant	Inclusion	Exclusion
Health facilities	• Prior to randomization, head of facility grants permission for facility to participate in the study • Be willing to develop, adopt, and implement the birth companion standard operating procedures and other components of the birth companion intervention package • Have 16 to 30 births minimum per month during the past three months • Be in the Addis Ababa and surrounding area of Ethiopia; Machakos or Murang’a County of Kenya; or Kano or Nasarawa States of Nigeria	• Facility staff strike or other disturbance to routine care noted prior to randomization that would pose significant challenge(s) to achieving the study objectives
Providers	• At the time of enrollment, work in antenatal care and/or labor and birth ward(s) of study facility • Able and willing to provide informed consent to participate in the study
Mothers	• Per participant report, age 15 years or older • Have a vaginal birth • Able and willing to provide informed consent to participate in the study	• Unable to participate in an interview due to their physical or emotional condition (e.g., caused by an adverse birth outcome) • Unable to provide valid information because of mental or other serious health condition
Birth companions	• For emancipated minors, age 15 years or older. If not an emancipated minor, 18 years or older. Age per participant report • Person was present at labor and/or birth • Identified as a birth companion by the birthing mother • Willing and able to provide informed consent to participate in the study	• Unable to provide valid information because of mental or other serious health condition
Unit managers	• Involved in the implementation and management of the birth companion intervention • Able and willing to provide informed consent to participate in the study