Effect of Labor Dance and Music on Labor Pain and Fear of Childbirth

The study was designed as a single-blind randomized controlled trial with one control and two intervention groups. The aim of the study was to investigate the effect of labor dance and music used in the active phase of labor on perceived labor pain and fear of childbirth.

The hypotheses of our study are as follows:

H1: The labor dance used in the active phase of labor has an effect on reducing the perceived labor pain.

H2: The music used in the active phase of labor has an effect on reducing the perceived labor pain.

H3: The labor dance used in the active phase of labor has an effect on reducing the fear of childbirth.

H4: The music used in the active phase of labor has an effect on reducing the fear of childbirth.

H5: The labor dance is a more effective method in reducing the labor pain perceived in the active phase of labor compared to music.

H6: The labor dance is a more effective method in reducing the fear of childbirth in the active phase of labor compared to music.

There were three groups in the study: the dance group (D) which involved pregnant women who performed the labor dance; the music group (M) involving pregnant women who were exposed to music; the control group (C) which included pregnant women who were administered routine hospital practices. The sampling included pregnant women who met the inclusion criteria and agreed to participate in the study. D; The pregnant women performed labor dance when the cervical dilatation reached 4-5 cm. The dance was performed in the company of music played through headphones. The labor dance lasted 30 minutes. M; The pregnant women listened to music for 30 minutes when the cervical dilatation reached 4-5 cm. They took any position they wanted while listening to music. C; No intervention was made to relieve the labor pain and reduce the fear of childbirth in the control group of the study. They were administered routine hospital applications.The study data were collected using a Personal Information Form, the Labor Monitoring Form, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), and version A of the Wijma Delivery Expectancy Questionnaire (W-DEQA). After the pregnant women were randomly assigned to groups, the personal information form was filled in. The perceived pain and fear of the pregnant women in group D and group M were measured and recorded prior to the intervention (when cervical dilatation reached 4-5 cm). A 30-minute long intervention was administered in groups D and M. The pain and fear measurements were repeated soon after the intervention, 30 minutes and 60 minutes after the intervention. On the other hand, the pain and fear assessments in the control group were made when the cervical dilatation reached 4-5 cm. The assessment of the perceived pain and fear in controls who were administered routine hospital practices were repeated 30 minutes after the first measurement, after 60 minutes, and after 90 minutes .

Inclusion criteria

• An indication for vaginal delivery
• Primipara
• Cervical dilatation of 3 cm or over
• Full-term pregnancy (38-42 gestational weeks)
• Single healthy fetus in vertex position
• No complication that can cause dystocia in labor (such as contraction anomalies, birth object, birth canal associated dystocia, maternal psychology associated dystocia)
• Not using analgesia and anesthesia during the first phase of the labor
• Having no physical disability to dance
• Having no difficulty to take upright position and move
• Having no communication problem.

Exclusion criteria

• Giving up participating in the study
• Abnormal changes in fetal heartbeat
• Emergence of an unexpected complication in the pregnant woman or the fetus 4) Taking analgesics and anesthesia

• Incomplete intervention and follow-up due to rapid labor 6) Being taken to C/S before the completion of the intervention and follow-up.