Pain Experience and Coping Strategies Employed by Women in Labor in a Secondary Health Facility in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria

Abstract

Labour pain experience is distinctive and complex, and women use various coping strategies to cope with it. Hence, this study attempted to explore pain experience and coping strategies employed by women in labor in a secondary health facility in Ilorin, Kwara State, Nigeria. A qualitative exploratory research design was used, and a purposive sampling technique was used to select a total of ten (10) mothers who delivered within 48hours in the healthcare facility. A total of three FGD sessions were conducted, each had between 3 and 4 participants. The semi-structured interview guide was used for data collection, and the data were analyzed using content analysis. The women who participated in this study were between 20 and 42years of age, and they perceived labour pain differently. Some of the women described labour pain as very painful; others said the pain is normal, while some said the pain cannot be compared with anything. The study revealed that younger women who are primiparous perceived labor pain as more severe than the multiparous women. All the participants said that birth information and instructions received from the midwives, as well as the presence of caring midwives, help to relieve labour pains and consequently influence their pain experience(s) positively. The coping strategies used varied among participants, and deep breathing techniques, relaxation, and vertical positions were the major coping strategies used. Therefore, the provision of adequate labour information on coping strategies and the presence of caring midwives influenced the labour experience(s) positively.