Labour pain perception: The experience among parturients at a tertiary centre in south-south Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Labour pain is acknowledged as one of the most intense pains experienced, yet individual responses vary according to each parturient’s perceived severity.Objectives: This study aimed to assess the perception of labour pain among parturients at a tertiary centre in Port Harcourt.Methodology: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 393 women who underwent spontaneous vaginal delivery at Rivers State University Teaching Hospital. Consenting participants were recruited consecutively within 24 hours postpartum, ensuring a recent recall of their pain experience. Data were collected via an interviewer-administered semi-structured questionnaire, with pain severity evaluated using the Visual Analogue Scale. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS 20.Results: The respondents’ mean age was 30.30±5.01 years (median 30). Most participants had secondary education (52.4%), followed by tertiary education (40.5%). While age, tribe, parity, and religion did not significantly influence pain perception, educational level, employment status, and gestational age showed statistically significant effects (p=0.0001, 0.047, and 0.0001, respectively). A large majority (80.9%) desired pain relief during labour. Moreover, 88.3% perceived the pain as severe, 10.4% as moderate, and 1.3% as mild. Significant associations were also observed between pain perception and both the use of oxytocics and the occurrence of perineal laceration (p=0.0001 and 0.0019, respectively).Conclusion: Given that most parturients perceive labour pain as severe, effective analgesia is essential to improve the labour experience and foster better outcomes.