Danish women's experiences of the rebozo technique during labour:A qualitative explorative study

AbstractObjectiveThe study aimed to explore women's experiences of the rebozo technique during labour.MethodsThis was a qualitative study based on individual telephone interviews, analysed by means of qualitative content analysis and inspired by interpretive description. 17 participants were recruited from two different-sized Danish hospitals and identified by applying a purposeful sample strategy.ResultsThe main theme expressed the women's overall experience with the rebozo: “Joined movements in a harmless effort towards a natural birth”. The women experienced that the technique created bodily sensations, which reduced their pain, and furthermore they expressed that it interrelated the labour process and produced mutual involvement and psychological support from the midwife and the women's partner. The rebozo technique was in most situations carried out because the midwife suspected a foetus malposition.ConclusionThe experiences of the rebozo technique were overall positive and both of a physical and psychological nature. The results indicate that health professionals should view rebozo as an easy accessible clinical tool with high user acceptance and possible positive psychological and clinical implications. The study contributes with a deeper and more nuanced understanding of a topic where only limited knowledge exists, however, efficacy studies are warranted

Mode of Delivery according to Leisure Time Physical Activity before and during Pregnancy:A Multicenter Cohort Study of Low-Risk Women

Objectives. To examine the association between maternal leisure time physical activity and mode of delivery. Study Design. Population-based multicentre cohort. From the Danish Dystocia Study, we included 2,435 nulliparous women, who delivered a singleton infant in cephalic presentation at term after spontaneous onset of labor in 2004-2005. We analysed mode of delivery according to self-reported physical activity at four stages, that is, the year before pregnancy and during first, second, and third trimester, in logistic regression models. Further, we combined physical activity measures at all four stages in one variable for a proportional odds model for cumulative logits. Main Outcome Measures. Mode of delivery (emergency caesarean section; vacuum extractor; spontaneous vaginal delivery). Results. The odds of emergency caesarean section decreased with increasing levels of physical activity with statistically significant trends at all four time stages except the third trimester. This tendency was confirmed in the proportional odds model showing 28% higher odds of a more complicated mode of delivery among women with a low activity level compared to moderately active women. Conclusions. We found increasing leisure time physical activity before and during pregnancy associated with a less complicated delivery among low-risk, nulliparous women

Pregnancy and leisure time physical activity

ABSTRACT Aims: To examine associations between leisure time physical activity before and during pregnancy and preterm delivery, birth weight, and pre-eclampsia and to describe levels of physical activity prior to and during pregnancy. Furthermore to elucidate women’s experiences and views of leisure time physical activity during pregnancy in a qualitative study. Methods: Data sources were: the Aarhus Birth Cohort (1989-1991), the Smoke-free Newborn Study (1996-1998), and the Danish Dystocia Study (2004-2005) including from 2750 to 5750 pregnant women in each study population. Questionnaires provided information about leisure time physical activity (sedentary, light, moderate-to-heavy and competitive sports) and sports. Findings: Pregnant women engaged in moderate-to-heavy leisure time physical activity during pregnancy had a 66% significantly reduced risk of preterm delivery (adjusted OR=0.34, 95% CI:0.14-0.85), while women with light leisure time physical activity had an unchanged risk compared to sedentary women. Practicing more than 1 type of sports was associated with a 91% significantly reduced risk of preterm delivery. Women performing sports 1-2 hours, or 3 hours or more weekly during pregnancy delivered infants with similar birth weight, and had similar risk of infants with low (4500g) as sedentary women. Similar findings were found when leisure time physical activity was studied. Women engaged in leisure time physical activities prior to pregnancy had the same risk of pre-eclampsia as sedentary women. From prior to pregnancy to the third trimester women’s level of leisure time physical activity decreased. Women with the highest level of leisure time physical activity before pregnancy remained the most physically active in leisure time during pregnancy. The qualitative study indicated that pregnant women desired to continue to be physically active in leisure time. Pregnancy-related discomforts/complications, a growing body and senses of insecurity with physically activity during pregnancy were barriers to maintain previous levels of physical activity. The women experienced that it was most often possible to overcome these barriers and continue to be active, and felt enjoyment and physical well-being from doing this. Conclusions: This thesis contributes new knowledge on the subject by demonstrating that pregnant women performing leisure time physical activity with the highest intensity had the lowest risk of preterm delivery. No associations between leisure time physical activity and offspring birth weight or risk of pre-eclampsia were found. It is a new dimension that pregnant women described their experiences in overcoming barriers in order to continue to be psychically active. The overall conclusion is that, that performing sports or higher level of leisure time physical activity prior to pregnancy or during pregnancy is not associated with disadvantages; rather there are some psychological and physical benefits for the mother and her offspring