Hypnobirthing Training for First-Time Mothers: Pain, Anxiety and Postpartum Wellbeing

Abstract

Purpose: Childbirth represents a significant life event, bringing about both physical and emotional transformations in a woman’s life. Among other psychological aspects associated with childbirth, labor pain, death anxiety, and postpartum depression have garnered significant attention in the field of maternal and reproductive health. This study is intended to evaluate how the effectiveness of hypnobirthing training alleviates labor pain, mitigates death anxiety enhances postpartum well-being reduces labor hours, and how anxiety exacerbates the duration of labor. Methods: Data were collected from (N = 50) young and middle-aged postpartum women in the outpatient obstetrics and gynecology departments of the Civil Hospital, Waseer Gynecology Hospital and Basic Health Unit Jalal Ballagan in Gujranwala, Pakistan, by using the convenience sampling technique. Out of 50, women were divided into a control (N = 25) and an experimental group (N = 25). They were recruited during their 33 weeks of pregnancy until childbirth for hypnobirthing training. Numerical Pain Rating Scale (NPRS), Templer Death Anxiety Scale (TDAS), and Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) were used to collect participants’ responses. Results: Findings proved hypnobirthing training as a catalyst in significantly reducing labor pain, death anxiety, and postpartum depression. Furthermore, the analysis indicated that death anxiety exacerbates the labor duration hours and hypnobirthing decreases the labor hours in the experimental group of women. Conclusion: It sheds light on the effectiveness of hypnobirthing training to enhance the birthing process. Findings underscore the significance of collaboration between obstetricians, psychologists, and mental health professionals to develop integrated care plans that address both physical and psychological aspects of childbirth.