Knowledge and Attitudes of Pregnant Women Regarding Painless Labor

Abstract

Painless labor refers to using of different methods that can be used during labor including non-pharmacological and pharmacological methods to help women better cope with labor pain. Aim: The present study aimed to assess knowledge and attitudes of pregnant women regarding painless labor. Subjects and method: A descriptive research design was used. The study was conducted at out-patient clinics of obstetrics departments of: Tanta University Hospitals, El-Menshawy General Hospital, El-Mogamaa El-Teby Hospital, Doctor Mohamed Mashally Medical Center at Said, and Medical Center at Segar. A purposive sample of 300 pregnant women were included in the study. Two tools were used for data collection: Tool I: Pregnant women's knowledge regarding painless labor individual questionnaire, consisting of three parts: Part (1): Socio-demographic data of the pregnant women. Part (2): Obstetric history of the pregnant women. Part (3): Pregnant women's knowledge regarding painless labor. Tool (II): Women's attitudes toward painless labor. Results : The vast majority (95.0%) of the studied pregnant women had low level of knowledge regarding painless labor, while more than two-thirds (69.0%) of them had positive attitudes towards it. A significant relationship and positive correlation were found between the total score of women's knowledge and the total score of women's attitudes regarding painless labor. Conclusion : There was a low level of knowledge and positive attitudes regarding painless labor among the pregnant women. Recommendation: Planning and developing of antenatal childbirth preparation classes for all pregnant women to improve their compliance regarding painless labor.