“An Experimental Study to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Lavender Oil Back Massage on Labour Pain Perception and Progress of Labour Among Pregnant Mothers in a Selected Hospital at Meerut U.P.”

Abstract

Introduction: Childbirth is a natural physiological process; however, labour pain is considered one of the most severe forms of pain experienced by women. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 140 million births occur globally each year, and nearly 60–90% of women experience moderate to severe labour pain during childbirth. In India, more than 23 million births occur annually, with institutional deliveries accounting for 88.6% according to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5, 2019–21). Despite improvements in maternal healthcare services, nearly 70 80% of labouring women do not receive adequate pain relief during labour. Non-pharmacological interventions such as massage and aromatherapy are increasingly recommended because they are safe, economical, non-invasive, and easy to administer. Lavender oil possesses analgesic, anxiolytic, and relaxing properties that may help reduce labour pain perception and improve the progress of labour. Therefore, the present study was undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of lavender oil back massage on labour pain perception and progress of labour among pregnant mothers. Objectives: To assess the post-test pain perception and progress of labour among pregnant mothers in experimental and control group. To evaluate the effectiveness of lavender oil back massage on labour pain perception and progress of labour among pregnant mothers in experimental and control group. To find out the relationship between labour pain perception and progress of labour among pregnant mothers. To determine the association between labour pain perception and progress of labour among pregnant mothers with their selected demographic variables. Methodology: The study adopted a quantitative research approach with a true experimental post-test only control group design. The study was conducted in District Women Hospital, Meerut among pregnant mothers in the first stage of labour. A total of 60 pregnant mothers were selected by using non-probability convenience sampling technique, consisting of 30 mothers in the experimental group and 30 mothers in the control group. Lavender oil back massage was administered to the experimental group during the first stage of labour, whereas the control group received routine care only. The progress of labour was monitored by using a simplified partograph, and labour pain perception was assessed using the Numeric Pain Rating Scale (NPRS). Descriptive and inferential statistics including frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation, unpaired t-test, Pearson correlation, and Chi-square test were used for data analysis. Results: The mean post-test labour pain perception score was significantly lower in the experimental group (4.96 ± 1.30) than in the control group (7.96 ± 1.01) (t = 9.6, p = 0.001). The mean progress of labour score was significantly higher in the experimental group (4.36 ± 0.75) compared to the control group (3.60 ± 0.48) (t = 6.1, p = 0.001). Pearson’s correlation analysis showed a small negative but statistically non-significant relationship between labour pain perception and progress of labour in both groups. A significant association was observed between age and labour pain perception, and between place of residence and progress of labour in the experimental group (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The study concluded that lavender oil back massage was highly effective in reducing labour pain perception and improving the progress of labour among pregnant mothers during the first stage of labour. The intervention was found to be safe, economical, non-invasive, and beneficial in promoting maternal comfort and positive labour outcomes. Therefore, lavender oil back massage can be recommended as an effective non-pharmacological nursing intervention for the management of labour pain and enhancement of labour progress among pregnant mothers.