Integrative medicine during antepartum hospitalization: A single-center retrospective pre-post study

Integrative medicine (IM) therapies are increasingly used alongside conventional medical care to address physical discomfort, stress, sleep disruption, and difficulty relaxing. However, IM remains understudied among hospitalized antepartum patients. We evaluated patterns of IM use and short-term changes in discomfort scores among hospitalized antepartum patients receiving IM consultation.

We conducted a single-center retrospective pre-post study of antepartum patients admitted to a tertiary care center who received at least one IM consultation between January 2024 and July 2025. IM therapies included aromatherapy, meditation and breathwork, sound therapy, and relaxation techniques. Because IM consultations were provided at patient/provider request, the study population reflects patients selected for or interested in IM services rather than all hospitalized antepartum patients. Patient-reported discomfort was assessed immediately before and after each IM encounter by the IM nurse using a five-point ordinal scale from 0 to 4, with 0 indicating no discomfort and 4 indicating severe discomfort. For patients with multiple IM visits, only one paired pre/post discomfort score was included in the paired analysis, prioritizing the first IM visit with complete pre- and post-intervention discomfort scores. Encounters without both pre- and post-intervention discomfort scores were excluded from paired analysis. Paired scores were compared using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test.

A total of 207 antepartum patients received IM consultations during the study period, and 174 patients had paired pre- and post-intervention discomfort scores available for analysis. Mean gestational age at admission was 30 weeks, and median length of stay was 7 days. The most common admission indication was hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (31%). Aromatherapy (94%) and mind-body therapies, including meditation and breathwork (51%), were the most frequently used IM modalities. Median discomfort scores decreased from 2 before IM to 1 after IM (p < 0.0001). The median paired change was -1 (Interquartile range [IQR] -1 to 0). Discomfort scores decreased in 130 patients (75%), remained unchanged in 44 patients (25%), and none reported increased discomfort.

Among hospitalized antepartum patients who received IM consultation, aromatherapy and mind-body therapies were the most frequently used modalities. IM encounters were associated with short-term reductions in patient-reported discomfort scores; however, given the pre-post design and the absence of a control group, these findings should be interpreted as hypothesis-generating rather than causal.