Labour: Can we make it a better experience?
Enhancing knowledge, expectations and use of natural pain relief in labour.

While a large body of research has explored risk factors for poor birth outcomes and catastrophic birth events, less attention has been paid to positive birth experience and maternal satisfaction. Between 10-20% of all women have negative experience. The reported prevalence of posttraumatic stress disorder after childbirth ranges from 1.5% to 6% Given the lack of regular use of labour analgesia and poor availability of childbirth education classes in Guyana, it is important patient have positive expectations and adequate knowledge of the labour process and strategies of natural pain relief. These factors not only impact on the resulting experience, but on the quality of subsequent mothering, attitudes toward modes of future deliveries and on CS rates.