Subjective pain perceptions during labour and its management.

OBJECTIVE To investigate women's own labour pain perception, experiences and satisfaction with health care providers at a referral hospital of Sindh. METHODS A descriptive study conducted on 400 labouring women at Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department Unit-II and IV Liaquat University Hospital Hyderabad/Jamshoro from January 2006 to July 2006. Four hundred full term labouring women in first stage of labour were included in the study. All the women with associated medical problems were excluded. Two questionnaires were completed containing demographic details, antenatal record, mode of onset of labour, labour duration, ambulation, use of various pharmacological agents and women's personal experiences regarding pain perception and future family planning. Data was collected and analyzed on simple percentage basis. RESULTS This study shows an acceptable birth experience in 136 (34%) cases, while 264 (66%) patients found it an exhausting painful experience. Common factors which favour good experience included lower socioeconomic class 67 (57.98%), rural population (54.68%), multiparous women (68.08%), prior knowledge of labour pains (69.31%), spontaneous labour (86.89%), use of pharmacological agents (76.04%) and co-operative staff attitude (89.27%). Those who found labour pains an acceptable process, 87.5% had a positive attitude for future child bearing. CONCLUSION Childbirth can be a good experience with effective antenatal counseling. A highly professional attitude and tender loving care is the key to a pain free labour.