Natural childbirth preparation only takes women so far

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Many women and their partners take childbirth classes in preparation for labor -- classes that teach breathing and relaxation techniques to help women cope with pain. That sounds great. But does it work to reduce labor pain?

According to a Swedish study, the answer is a resounding no. Researchers studied more than 1,000 women who attended one of two classes during pregnancy: one taught natural coping methods and the other emphasized pain relief. When it came time to deliver, about half of the women in both groups opted for an epidural for pain relief. An epidural is spinal anesthesia that greatly reduces or eliminates the pain of contractions. The study is published in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

About 70% of the women in the natural childbirth classes said they used the techniques they learned, however. And the classes may give women much-needed confidence going into labor and help them develop a support system with other couples in the classes. Most of the women in both groups said they were satisfied with their birth experiences.

However, Malin Bergstroem, a psychologist at the Karolinska Institute and co-author of the study, said in a news release: ‘Our conclusion is that natural childbirth preparation with psychoprophylaxis does not reduce the need for epidural analgesia or improve the birth experience, when compared with the standard form of antenatal education.’

Dr. Patrick O’Brien, a spokesman for Britain’s Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said women should know about the study results. ‘It’s almost accepted that these techniques might help but the evidence out there is not that strong,’ he said. ‘This is the first good evidence to compare the two approaches.’

- Shari Roan