Effectiveness of Mindfulness on Labour Pain Among Nulliparous Women

The management of labour pain, despite much research in its regard, remains a complex and difficult subject. Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy is addressed as a relatively new method of managing acute pain; however, it is less often used in midwifery. Therefore, the present study was carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions on labour pain. METHODS: This is a clinical trial study in which 158 women, who referred to childbirth preparation classes, were allocated to two groups using simple randomisation. The intervention group was trained in mindfulness techniques during eight sessions by a trained midwife. Women in the control group received routine pregnancy care. On the day of delivery, the pain intensity and the immediate pregnancy outcomes in both groups were assessed. Data were collected using the Visual Analogue Scale and the delivery checklist. Collected data were then analysed using SPSS (a software package used for statistical analysis) and a Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: During admission to the labour ward, the pain intensity among participants in both groups was moderate, and there was no significant difference (0.10). At the beginning of the active phase (4 – 6 cm of dilation), and 7 – 8 cm of dilatation and 9 – 10 cm of dilatation, the pain intensity was significantly lower in women in the intervention group (p=0.001). No difference regarding the maternal and fetal complications in pregnancy was observed between participants in the intervention and control groups. In addition, the need to apply other pain relief methods in participants in the intervention group was significantly less than participants in the control group (p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: According to the findings of this study, it can be concluded that mindfulness is a successful and uncomplicated method to reduce labour pain. These findings could be used by midwives to provide holistic care to pregnant women.