Effects of five-element music therapy plus water birth on labour pain relief and the labour process

This study aimed to compare the effects of traditional childbirth (TC), water birth (WB) and the combination of WB and five-element music therapy (FEMT) on maternal childbirth experiences and clinical outcomes.

A total of 314 women who delivered at our hospital between November 2022 to June 2023 were enrolled and divided into three groups: the TC group (n = 126), the WB group (n = 95) and the WB-FEMT group (n = 93), which included labour pain relief through FEMT and WB. Data were collected, compared and analysed, including labour duration, first-stage labour pain duration, postpartum blood loss, neonatal Apgar scores, scores on the Labour Agentry Scale (LAS) and scores on the Childbirth Experience Questionnaire (CEQ2.0).

The first-stage labour duration and overall labour duration were significantly shorter in the WB and WB-FEMT groups than in the TC group (p < 0.001, respectively). Pain scores in the WB-FEMT group were significantly lower than in the WB and TC groups, and postpartum blood loss was significantly less than that in the TC group (p = 0.007). The WB-FEMT group showed the highest neonatal Apgar score (p < 0.001). Moreover, maternal satisfaction with the childbirth experience in the WB-FEMT group was higher, with significantly better LAS and CEQ2.0 scores than in the TC group (p < 0.001, respectively).

The study demonstrates that WB and WB-FEMT are superior to TC in labour duration, pain management and postpartum recovery. The WB-FEMT combination significantly enhanced maternal psychological comfort. Offering diverse childbirth options can better meet the physiological and psychological needs of mothers, ultimately promoting the health of both mothers and newborns.