Exploring barriers to the effective painless labor: a qualitative study

Background: Studies have indicated that health professionals have already highlighted different factors responsible for painless labor. With the development of novel challenges from time to time, certain barriers may develop that need to be explored for effective painless labor. Such barriers even vary among different cultures and regions. Purpose: This study was aimed to explore barriers to effective painless labor in context to Pakistani culture and socio-economic status. Methodology: A qualitative research approach and exploratory-descriptive research design was used to explore the barriers to effective painless labor. The sample consisted of ten gynecologists with a minimum of five years of experience. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the gynecologists from govt. and private hospitals in Punjab, Pakistan. The verbatims of the doctors were noted and transferred into nodes to create themes and categories through NVivo 11 plus software. Results: The results indicated four master themes that emerged regarding barriers to effective painless labor i.e. Diseases, Improper Food and Nutrition, Professional Incompetency and Psychological Issues. Conclusion: Exploratory-descriptive approach in exploring the barriers to effective painless labor indicated that the indigenous barriers are different and many in numbers as compared to the developed countries. This needs attention from the health care professionals and authorities to understand the dynamics which intensify the unnecessary labor.