Novel grouping of planned coping strategies for managing the intensity of labour: A survey study of Australian nulliparous women.
Midwifery
; 136: 104055, 2024 Sep.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38917572
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
It is common for women to explore and plan strategies to cope during labour. These strategies are usually focused on pain control and described as either pharmacological or non-pharmacological. As labour is an individual experience, each woman should be enabled to choose strategies that best suit them, and that reflect what they feel influences their sense of capacity to cope.AIM:
By exploring women's intentions and choices of strategies, this study aimed to understand how coping strategies can better reflect women's individual needs and expectations.METHODS:
Fifty-six primiparous women were recruited from one tertiary hospital in Melbourne, Australia between February and May 2021. Data were collected via a survey in late pregnancy using open-ended questions. Content and thematic analyses were used to analyse responses.RESULTS:
Themes related to how women frame the intensity of labour, how they strive for a relationally safe environment and a need to be prepared and knowledgeable. Strategies chosen by women could be grouped into two categories intrinsic and extrinsic. Intrinsic strategies could be self-generated by women (such as breathing techniques and movement), while extrinsic strategies required either equipment (such as a bath) or others to administer (such as epidural analgesia).CONCLUSIONS:
Women value having a range of intrinsic and extrinsic strategies that enable autonomy or require external support. This moves beyond the 'pharmacological and non-pharmacological' categorisation of strategies, and we propose that reframing strategies as intrinsic and extrinsic could have a number of benefits on women's sense of autonomy and utilisation of strategies. The findings provide a foundation for more targeted research into how women can be supported to individualise and implement these coping strategies in labour.Palabras clave
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Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Paridad
/
Habilidades de Afrontamiento
País/Región como asunto:
Oceania
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Midwifery
Asunto de la revista:
ENFERMAGEM
/
OBSTETRICIA
Año:
2024
Tipo del documento:
Article