Breathing Exercises Guided by Student Midwives During Labor

Antalya Bilim University90 enrolled

Overview

This randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the effect of breathing exercises applied under the guidance of student midwives during labor on labor pain, labor duration, and birth satisfaction. The intervention group received structured breathing exercises guided by student midwives throughout labor, while the control group received routine intrapartum care. Outcomes were assessed during labor and in the early postpartum period

This study is designed to evaluate the effect of a midwifery-led intervention on labor pain intensity and birth satisfaction among women giving birth vaginally. The study will be conducted as a controlled clinical study in a maternity hospital setting. Eligible pregnant women who are admitted to the labor ward and meet the inclusion criteria will be invited to participate and will provide informed consent prior to enrollment. The study aims to determine whether the midwifery-led intervention is associated with reduced labor pain intensity and improved birth satisfaction compared to routine care.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Labor Pain and to Reduce Pain Childbirth Normal Labor

Interventions

Guided Breathing Exercises During LaborBEHAVIORAL

Structured breathing exercises delivered and monitored by student midwives during labor.

Routine Intrapartum CareOTHER

Standard intrapartum care provided according to hospital protocols.

Eligibility

Sex: FEMALEMin age: 18 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * Women aged 18 years and older Term pregnancy (≥37 weeks of gestation) Singleton pregnancy Planning vaginal birth In the active phase of labor Able to communicate and provide informed consent Exclusion Criteria: * High-risk pregnancy (e.g., preeclampsia, placenta previa, severe medical complications) Multiple pregnancy Planned cesarean section Use of pharmacological pain relief at admission (e.g., epidural analgesia) Known fetal anomalies Inability to participate in breathing exercises

Locations (1)

Antalya

Antalya, Turkey (Türkiye)

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Labor pain intensity measured by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) (0-10)

Labor pain intensity will be assessed using a 10-cm Visual Analog Scale (VAS), where 0 indicates "no pain" and 10 indicates "worst pain imaginable." The outcome will be the VAS score reported by the participant at each assessment time point.

Time frame: At admission to the labor ward (baseline) and at cervical dilatation of 6-7 cm.

Secondary Outcomes

Birth satisfaction measured by the Birth Satisfaction Scale Revised (BSS-R)

Birth satisfaction will be assessed using the Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised (BSS-R), a 10-item scale with total scores ranging from 0 to 40, where higher scores indicate greater birth satisfaction.

Time frame: Within the first 24 hours postpartum

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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