Perceptions of Labor and Delivery Clinicians on Non-Pharmacological Methods for Pain Relief During Labor

Abstract

This thesis explores the barriers to use of non-pharmacological methods for pain relief during labor by surveying clinicians who work with laboring mothers. The purpose of the study was to describe the perspectives of labor and delivery clinicians about their facility’s current use of non-pharmacological methods of pain relief during labor, their opinions on the effectiveness of these methods, and the perceived barriers to the use of these methods in a hospital setting. By identifying the barriers to use of non-pharmacological methods for pain relief during labor, it is hoped that we can propose ways to overcome these obstacles in order to help laboring mothers achieve a more “natural” childbirth in the hospital setting.