Prompting and Modeling of Coping Strategies during Childbirth

TL;DR

A new software using prompting and video modeling helped improve labor behaviors during childbirth, leading to better outcomes.

Contribution

The study introduces an in-vivo teaching technology to enhance labor coping strategies through immediate prompting and video modeling.

Findings

The software increased the frequency of labor behaviors during unmedicated childbirth.

It also improved the variability of behaviors used by birthing persons and their partners.

This approach shows potential for better birth outcomes and mobility during labor.

Abstract

There is ample evidence to suggest that upright positions and mobility during labor improve birth outcome, including shorter duration of childbirth and reduced risk of cesarean section. The use of nonpharmacological interventions for pain management during childbirth are recommended by major health-care institutions and medical providers, however, the current methodologies for training coping strategies for use during labor have not shown to be effective on mobility or birth outcome. The purpose of this study was to apply an in-vivo teaching technology to the current childbirth model to prompt an imitative repertoire of empirically demonstrated labor coping strategies. Results of this study concluded that the introduction of a software using immediate prompting and video modeling increased the frequency and variability of labor behaviors during unmedicated labor for birthing persons and their partners.

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