Comfort and Satisfaction Among Women Who Used Different Options for Analgesia During Labor and Birth

Abstract

ObjectiveTo determine if comfort and satisfaction with the birth experience differed among women who used nitrous oxide (N2O), epidural analgesia, or no analgesia during labor and birth. DesignNonexperimental, cross-sectional, between-subjects. SettingMaternity care units in three U.S. Midwest hospitals from June to October 2019. ParticipantsA total of 84 women with spontaneous vaginal birth at term gestation (≥37 weeks). MethodsWomen were grouped according to self-selected pain management method: N2O and oxygen (50%/50% mixture) only (n = 28), epidural analgesia (may have been in combination with other analgesia options; n = 28), or no analgesia (n = 28). We collected data within 6 hours after childbirth using the Birth Satisfaction Scale–Revised and the researcher-modified Childbirth Comfort Questionnaire. We analyzed data for differences in comfort and satisfaction scores among the three groups of women using analysis of variance. ResultsWe found no statistically significant differences related to comfort during labor and birth among women who used N2O only, epidural analgesia, or no analgesia during labor and birth, F(2, 81) = 1.11, p = .34. We also found no statistically significant differences related to satisfaction with the birth experience among women who used N2O only, epidural analgesia, or no analgesia during labor and birth, F(2, 81) = .084, p = .92. ConclusionOur finding of no statistically significant differences in comfort and satisfaction with the birth experience across groups highlights the need to present comprehensive pain management options to women for labor and birth, such as N2O.