Heat Application to the Sacral Region and Pain Level During the First Stage of Labor

The Effect of Heat Application to the Sacral Region During The First Stage of Labor On the Pain Level and the Obstetric Outcomes

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of hot application applied to the sacral region during first stage of labor on women's pain level and labor process.

It is stated that the pain experienced during labor, which is a physiological process, creates stress and anxiety in women and increases the risk of maternal and neonatal complications. Therefore, keeping labor pain under control is important from an obstetrical perspective. Pain experienced during labor is caused by dilatation of the cervix and uterine contractions, and occurs in different regions at each stage of labor. Due to the descent of the fetal head into the pelvis and the pressure it puts on the lumbosacral plexus, the mother feels pain in her back, waist, legs and hips, especially in the first stage of labor. Although pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods are used in the management of labor pain, they have disadvantages such as experiencing drug-related side effects due to pharmacological methods, causing undesirable effects in the woman and the fetus, the woman not being able to actively participate in the labor and not being able to remember what happened during labor.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Women were over 18 years of age
• Primipara
• Volunteered to participate in the study
• Were in the latent phase of labor (cervical dilatation 1-2 cm)
• Had a single fetus in vertex presentation
• Had no history of pregnancy complications
• Had not undergone any intervention in the sacral region were included in the study

Exclusion Criteria:

• Applied pharmacological pain control methods in the first stage of labor
• Had a cesarean section decision at any stage