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Comfort in Labor: "Like Being Able to Exhale"
Priscilla J Hall1, Jennifer Whitman Foster, Kathryn M Yount
1Lillian Carter Center for Global Health & Social Responsibility (Dr Foster) and Office of Academic Advancement (Dr Jennings), Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing (Dr Hall); and Department of Behavioral Sciences & Health Education and Department of Sociology 01, Rollins School of Public Health (Dr Yount), Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia.
The Journal of Perinatal & Neonatal Nursing
|January 31, 2020
Summary
Women
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Nursing
- Psychology
Background:
- Comfort is a fundamental human need, crucial for women experiencing labor pain and emotional distress.
- The subjective experience of comfort during childbirth remains incompletely understood.
- Childbirth involves a dynamic of "keeping-it-together-falling-apart," where comfort plays a key role.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the concept of comfort in labor for women in greater depth.
- To understand the holistic nature of comfort during childbirth.
- To identify factors within labor care that either support or hinder women's comfort.
Main Methods:
- Qualitative descriptive analysis of interviews with eight women aged 23–38 years.
- Participants experienced spontaneous vaginal births.
- Each woman was interviewed twice about her childbirth experience.
Main Results:
- Comfort is a holistic experience encompassing bodily and personal needs, leading to relaxation and relief.
- Comfort and pain can coexist; pain relief does not always equate to comfort.
- Women possess innate comfort knowledge, but hospital caregivers sometimes restrict their choices, impacting comfort.
Conclusions:
- Labor care aspects, especially regarding mobility and choice, can impede women's comfort.
- Integrating comfort alongside pain relief may enhance the overall childbirth experience.
- Prioritizing women's comfort can lead to more holistic and satisfying births.
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