The effect of selected antenatal exercises in reduction of labor pain among primigravid women: Implication for practice

Purpose: Labor is a physiological event, but it is a painful event. The agony and stress a woman suffers are beyond description. Primigravid women must be prepared during the antenatal period itself for safe and natural childbirth. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of antenatal exercise in pain management during labor. Materials and methods: A quasi-experimental study was conducted with 600 primigravid women. Education on antenatal exercises provided with the help of three-dimensional (3D) animation and the practice was monitored. Visual analog scale (VAS) was used to assess the perception of the pain of these primigravid women during labor. Results: The primigravid women performed exercise for a minimum of 15 to a maximum of 34 days. In the experimental group, 74% of the primigravid women had moderate pain, and only 26% of them had severe pain. Whereas in the control group, 95.7% of the primigravid women had severe pain and only 4.4% of women had mild to moderate pain. Experimental group women had better pain bearing capacity due to exercise as compared to control group. Conclusion: Nurses and childbirth educators must be willing to provide sensitive, continuous care that is a collaborative effort with the woman to assist her in coping with pain and mastering the experience of childbirth. Greater attention needs to be paid to promote and implement the antenatal exercise program from the onset of pregnancy in the absence of any medical and obstetrical complications. Healthcare providers should appreciate and strongly recommend the exercise program as nonpharmacological pain relief measure during labor.