Coping Experiences of Nigerian Women during Pregnancy and Labour: A Qualitative Study.
Deborah Tolulope Esan, Janet Efemena Adugbo, Israel Opeyemi Fawole and 1 others
PMID 36650848WHAT IT FOUND
Thirty Nigerian mothers described coping with pregnancy and labour through relatives’ advice, antenatal information, prayer, exercise, positive imagination, and family or nurse support.
These are experiences, not proof of pain relief.
Key findings
01During pregnancy, women described coping by receiving relatives’ experiences, seeking information from antenatal nurses or mobile devices, praying, and exercising.
02During labour, women described walking or household chores, breathing exercises, prayer, positive imagination, support from health workers and family, and cultural beliefs about enduring pain.
03Sixty-three percent of respondents used no pain medications during previous deliveries, while 37% did.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The sample was small and purposive, from two hospitals, and the authors state the findings may not reflect all Nigerian women. All participants were married, mostly Christian, and many had bachelor’s degrees, so the experiences of unmarried women, other faiths, other education levels, or other regions may be missing. The study reports coping experiences and does not measure pain outcomes, so it cannot show whether any strategy worked.
Declared interests
None declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read these coping strategies as proof that prayer, walking, or relative advice reduce labour pain. The study reports women’s experiences, not pain outcomes, and it did not test whether any strategy relieved pain.