Effectiveness of Acupressure on Post-Cesarean Bowel Function: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: In cesarean delivery, factors such as general anesthesia affect bowel function, leading postpartum women to experience abdominal tenderness, gas, and constipation. Objective: This study aims to assess the impact of acupressure on bowel function after cesarean delivery. Design: A randomized-controlled experimental study was conducted. Participants: The study population comprised postpartum women who underwent cesarean delivery at Ondokuz Mayis University Health Practice and Research Hospital between July 2021 and January 2022. The sample consisted of 61 postpartum women (acupressure group: 31, control group: 30). Intervention: Participants were divided into two groups: the acupressure group and the control group. Women in the acupressure group received 14 minutes of acupressure application to the LI4 and TH6 points twice, once within the first postoperative hour and again three hours later. The control group received no acupressure intervention. Outcome Measures: Data were collected using a Postpartum Information Form and a Post-cesarean Follow-up Form. Statistical analyses included the Mann-Whitney U test, Student's t test, and chi-squared analysis. Results: The mean age of postpartum women in the acupressure group was 27.61±4.39, while in the control group, it was 28.50±3.85. The mean times for bowel sounds, flatulence, and bowel movements in the acupressure group (9.98±2.77, 19.43±10.25, and 27.13±10.77 hours, respectively) were significantly shorter than those in the control group (14.41±5.07, 23.33±4.20, and 46.16±17.95 hours, respectively) (P < .05). Conclusions: Acupressure was found to be effective in improving bowel function after cesarean delivery, significantly reducing the time taken for participants to experience bowel sounds, flatulence, and bowel movements.

Perinatal death witnessed by midwifery students during clinical practice and their coping methods: A qualitative study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the perinatal death experience of midwifery students during clinical practice and their coping methods. DESIGN: A qualitative, descriptive, phenomenological design was used. SETTINGS: The study was conducted with midwifery students. PARTICIPANTS: The study was conducted with 14 midwifery students at a state university in northern Turkey between April and July 2023. METHODS: Perinatal death experiences that students witnessed during clinical practice and their coping methods were analyzed using the individual in-depth interview technique. Data were analyzed using the thematic analysis method. The results obtained from the study were reported according to the COREQ criteria. FINDINGS: As a result of the analysis, four main themes: (1) the perception of the concept of death, (2) the first encounter with death, (3) methods of coping with death, and (4) students' suggestions were elicited from the data. Students who witnessed perinatal death were affected by this situation, experienced negative emotions, and resorted to different methods to cope with their negative feelings about death. CONCLUSIONS: Midwifery students who witnessed perinatal death were negatively affected emotionally and professionally; therefore, education and policy-oriented regulations are needed to cope with perinatal death.

The effect of acupressure on postpartum fatigue in women delivering by caesarean section: A randomized controlled study.

AIM: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of acupressure on postpartum fatigue in women who gave birth by cesarean section. METHOD: This study is a randomized controlled experimental study. The study was conducted between August 2021 and January 2022 in the maternity wards of hospitals in Turkey. Multiparous women who gave birth by cesarean section were randomly assigned to acupressure (n = 60) and control (n = 62) groups. Acupressure was applied to the acupressure group for a total of four sessions on the points of LI4, ST36, and SP6, for an average of 15 min for each session. The application sessions continued for 48 h after the cesarean section. The data were collected with a Descriptive Information Form and the VAS-F. RESULTS: It was determined that the mean posttest score of the fatigue dimension of the VAS-F was found to be significantly lower in the acupressure group (p = 0.023). Additionally, in the acupressure group, while the differences between the pretest and posttest results of the both fatigue and energy dimensions of the VAS-F were statistically highly significant in the acupressure group (p = 0.000), only the difference in the energy dimension was found to be statistically significant in the control group (p = 0.016). CONCLUSIONS: As a result, acupressure was found to be effective in reducing postpartum fatigue in women who gave birth by cesarean section, and its usability for healthcare professionals was demonstrated.