The people supporting a labouring woman can feel and express their own vulnerability towards her pain. This can directly impact on her reactions to her own pain. The woman's partner (or support person) may become anxious and distressed as a result of witnessing her in pain. They may instinctively wish to 'protect and rescue' her, as they feel she is suffering.
Be aware that there is a significant difference between experiencing labour pain, as opposed to suffering with it.
Imagine a labouring woman looking into her partner's eyes and seeing panic and anguish. This can be enough to shatter or undermine her confidence in herself, or forget her own needs to 'rescue' her partner or support person. She may attempt to do this by modifying her responses to the pain or accepting medical forms of pain relief. She may feel that this will ease her partner's inner dilemma of seeing their loved one in pain.
This, of course, would not generally be in the best interests of the woman. The support team must do exactly what its name implies - provide unconditional support. Allowing a woman to express and deal with her pain during labour and unconditionally respecting her choices along the way (whatever that entails). This should be the main objective of all labour support teams.