Labor pain is distressing and produces undue side effects to both woman and fetus. In low-income countries like Ethiopia, addressing pain relief is often neglected. Professionals attending labor may not have awareness of obstetric analgesia. Besides this, there is a lack of published research on perceptions of obstetric analgesia among health professionals in Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to explore perceptions of obstetric analgesia among midwives attending normal vaginal deliveries in Durame Hospital.
The study adopted an exploratory descriptive qualitative approach in Durame General Hospital, Kembata Tembaro Zone, Southern Ethiopia from March 1 to April 2, 2017. Fifteen midwives were purposely selected and participated in in-depth interviews. Data from interviews were transcribed, translated to English, coded, and categorized into themes. Data analysis was initiated alongside data collection using a thematic approach. Written informed consent was obtained from all study participants.