Objective: To understand the reasons why health institutions from the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil prevent the presence of a companion in vaginal and caesarean delivery, from the perspective of nurses and technical directors.
Method: Exploratory-descriptive, qualitative research. A total of 12 nurses and five technical directors were interviewed from September/2011 to February/2012. The reports were analyzed according to the Collective Subject Discourse.
Results: In the central ideas of restrictions to the companion we may cite: the operating room is not the place for a companion; in the delivery room companions are not allowed to come in; the companion does not have emotional and psychological preparation; lack of participation in prenatal care hinders the entrance of the companion; if the companion does not ask, he does not come in, but if he requires, he may come in.
Final considerations: The companion impediment is guided by pre-conceived ideas that can negatively interfere in the organization of the birth process.