Chapters authored
Perceptions of Women toward Non-Pharmacological Methods for Pain Relief during Labor
The experience of childbirth is subjective and has multidimensional components through which every woman passes in different ways. It is one of the most beautiful episodes in mother’s life, related to happiness and celebration. However, childbirth is also associated with negative emotions such as anxiety, low sense of safety, and expectation of pain. Strong and persistent pain that is associated with labor may negatively affect both mother and fetus. During labor, a woman is dealing not only with the contractions but also with the belief that the culture has made for her. Although childbirth is viewed as a normal physiological process, it can produce significant pain that requires effective pain management. The non-pharmacological approach includes a wide variety of methods to address labor pain, which prevent suffering by enhancing the psychological and spiritual components. The non-pharmacological methods of labor pain relief require patient’s preparation and antenatal education. The non-pharmacological methods that used to relief labor pain are massage, acupuncture, continuous support, positioning, breathing techniques, water immersion, music therapy, and biofeedback are some of the techniques used to achieve an effective coping level for women. The aim of this chapter is to explore women’s perception toward non-pharmacological methods during labor.
Part of the book: Pain Management
The Impact of Antenatal Care in Maternal and Perinatal Health
Every moment, somewhere in our planet especially in low in come country, women of reproductive age group die from problems linked to gestations. The major reason for this enormous magnitude of complication is failure to use antenatal care services particularly in developing countries. The World Health Organization recommends a minimum of four ANC visits. However, global estimates indicate that only about half of all pregnant women receive this recommended amount of care. Antenatal care is one of the evidence-based interventions to decrease the probability of bad health outcomes for mothers and their newborns. Effectiveness of antenatal care, however, relies on the quality of care provided during each antenatal care visits. Antenatal care is an umbrella term used to describe the medical procedures and care that carried out starting from preconception. lt is a care a woman receives throughout her pregnancy and is important in helping to ensure a healthy pregnancy state and safe childbirth. Therefore, antenatal care is to assure that every wanted pregnancy results in the delivery of a healthy baby without impairing the mother’s health. The aim of this chapter is to examine the impact of antenatal care in decreasing maternal and newborn death from preconception through postnatal period.
Part of the book: Empowering Midwives and Obstetric Nurses