EFFECTIVENESS OF LAMAZE TECHNIQUE ON THE LEVEL OF ANXIETY, INTENSITY OF LABOUR PAIN AND DURATION OF FIRST STAGE OF LABOUR IN THE PRIMIGRAVIDA MOTHERS

Labour is the most exciting and most painful situation for a women. Women have different threshold level of pain and cope with the pre-labour anxiety in different ways. This study aims to avoid painful experience of the mother during labour. Seventy eight primigravida mothers were selected by weekly allocation of subjects in control and experimental group. The mother in both the groups were introduced to the investigator and explained about the research project. In the experimental group, the mothers were oriented to the ward and daily routine, explained about labour process and taught selected Lamaze techniques (effleurage massage, slow breathing exercise and focusing on picture of baby) after which assessment of anxiety was done. The mothers of control group was assessed without intervention for the level of anxiety and routine care was given. First assessment of labour pain was done at 3-4 cm. dilatation of cervix, second assessment done after 2 hours of first observation and third assessment was done after 2 hours of second observation in both the groups. Duration of active phase of first stage of labour was assessed by partograph from 3-4 cm. to full dilatation of cervix. Experimental group showed that there is significant difference of anxiety (p <0.001), pain (p <0.001) and duration of active phase of first stage of labour (p <0.001) in comparison with control group. Study concluded that selected Lamaze technique reduces the level of anxiety and intensity of labour pain during first stage of labour among primigravida mothers.