'Giving birth on a beach': Women's experiences of using virtual reality in labour.

INTRODUCTION: Birth is a normal physiological process, and many women want a natural birth. Women use a range of non-pharmacological pain relief methods to reduce labour pain intensity, to help manage labour pain and to induce relaxation. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of women using Virtual Reality as a non-pharmacological method of pain relief in labour. Virtual Reality has been shown to be an effective distraction technique in other acute pain settings which also reduces anxiety. METHODS: This study conducted qualitative in-depth interviews postnatally with women who used Virtual Reality in labour. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the qualitative data. RESULTS: Nineteen women used Virtual Reality in labour. Results from interviews with nineteen women in the postnatal period identified three main themes: impact of virtual reality on experience of labour, managing the pain of labour and challenges of using virtual reality in labour. CONCLUSION: This study identified that Virtual Reality was effective as a relaxation technique and helped in pain management by the use of self-efficacy techniques. Women in this study also identified preferred virtual environments specifically to use during labour and birth. This study provides a unique and original contribution to the field of Virtual Reality in labour and birth. It also identifies Virtual Reality as an acceptable and positive experience in the management of anxiety and labour pain.

Virtual reality is beneficial in decreasing pain in labouring women: A preliminary study.

BACKGROUND: Women use a range of non-pharmacological pain relief methods to reduce labour pain intensity and to help manage labour pain. AIMS: The purpose of this intervention study was to determine whether virtual reality would have an effect on labour pain intensity. Virtual reality has been shown to be effective in reducing pain in other acute pain settings. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was an intervention study in labour in a cross-over within-subjects design (Clinical Trials Registry Number: ACTRN12618001776291P). Fourteen participants reported their pain and had their heart rate and blood pressure measured during active labour while using and not using virtual reality. RESULTS: There were significantly lower reported pain scores (6.14 compared to 7.61, P < 0.001) and maternal heart rate (79.86 beats per minute compared to 85.57, P = 0.033) and mean arterial pressure (88.78 mmHg compared to 92.61 mmHg, P = 0.022) were lower when using virtual reality compared to when not using virtual reality during active labour. CONCLUSION: This study makes an important contribution to the field of virtual reality in labour and birth. It is consistent with other recent findings of reduced pain in labour and links decreased pain scales to heart rate and blood pressure, the physiological markers of pain.