The Effect of Music Postoperative Period

Postpartum women undergoing cesarean section often experience significant levels of anxiety and pain, which can negatively affect recovery and maternal-infant bonding. In addition to pharmacological methods, non-pharmacological strategies such as music listening may play an important role in supporting women during this period. In this study, 110 women who had undergone cesarean delivery were randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. Starting at the 24th postpartum hour until the 48th hour, women in the intervention group listened to relaxing classical instrumental music (e.g., works by Mozart, Vivaldi, and Debussy) for 15 minutes every hour. The control group received no intervention. Participants' demographic and clinical characteristics were collected using the Descriptive Characteristics Form, while postpartum anxiety and pain perception were assessed with the Postpartum-Specific Anxiety Scale (PSAS) and Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS). The primary outcome was anxiety, and the secondary outcome was pain perception. The study sought to assess whether a music-based, culturally appropriate, non-pharmacological intervention could be an effective component of routine postpartum care following cesarean delivery.

Inclusion criteria

• Women aged 18 years or older

Primiparous (first-time mothers)

Underwent cesarean section under spinal anesthesia

Mentally healthy and able to communicate

No hearing impairments (able to hear the music intervention)

No chronic illnesses

No complications during labor for mother or newborn

Proficient in Turkish

Voluntarily agreed to participate and provided informed consent

Exclusion criteria

Multiparous women (previous childbirth experience)

Women who used non-routine analgesics beyond standard postpartum pain relievers

Presence of psychiatric disorders or severe mental illness

Medical complications during or after delivery for mother or infant

Hearing impairments preventing participation in music listening

Women unwilling or unable to comply with the intervention protocol