Effect of Two Different Positions on Parturients’ Perception of Labor Pains

The study aimed to determine the effect of two different positions on parturients perception of labor pains. It is a randomized, crossover study, in which the same group of participants had served as both the control and the experimental group. The study was conducted at the delivery room affiliated to King Fahad University Hospital. It included 84 parturient primiparae who were randomly assigned to one of two groups, in which either side-lying or sitting position was first used then alternate with the other position to avoid order effect. Group I started in the sitting position for 15 minutes, and then they were asked to reposition themselves in the side-lying position. Group II started in the side-lying position for 15 minutes, and then they were asked to reposition themselves in the sitting position. An interview and physical assessment sheet was developed and used by the researchers to collect data about general characteristics and physical assessment. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was also used to measure the intensity of labor pains. It has a horizontal line in centimeters from 0 to 10 with two opposing extremes at each end; i.e. no pain and worst possible pain. Participants were asked to mark on the line representing the perceived intensity of labor pains during each position. A score was determined by measuring the distance from the no pain end to the marked location. The results of the study revealed that side-lying position significantly reduced the intensity of labor pains during the cervical dilatation from 6 to 8 centimeters.