Childbirth experiences in proactive versus standard support of labor in the latent phase- A randomized, controlled...

A long latent phase followed by prolonged labor may negatively affect childbirth experience. This study investigated whether proactive support of labor (PSL), compared to standard support of labor (SSL), during the latent phase improves childbirth experience in nulliparous women. Secondary objectives were to assess the impact of labor duration on experience within PSL and SSL groups and maternal preferences for delivery mode in a hypothetical subsequent pregnancy.

Randomized clinical, single-centre trial at St. Olav's Hospital, University Hospital of Trondheim, Norway.

Primiparous women from the "Proactive vs. Standard Support of Labor" study who completed the Childbirth Experience Questionnaire (CEQ).

Reported CEQ-scores six to eight weeks postpartum, were compared between the PSL and SSL groups using the Mann-Withney U test.

Total CEQ score and four domain scores.

Of 347 participants, 305 (88%) completed the CEQ. No significant difference was found in total CEQ score between PSL (n = 172; mean 3.11, SD 0.43) and SSL (n = 133; mean 3.10, SD 0.46; p = 0.937), nor across domain scores. CEQ scores did not differ significantly between groups for labor < 12 hours (p = 0.814) or ≥ 12 hours (p = 0.404). Maternal preference for caesarean section was similar: PSL 4% vs. SSL 8%.

Among nulliparous women, proactive support of labor during the latent phase neither improved nor diminished childbirth experience compared with standard support, as both groups scored high on total CEQ.