Physiotherapeutic assistance during labor

ABSTRACT Labor is a natural event; a subjective and complex experience changing from woman to woman. Physiotherapeutic intervention in obstetric assistance values women’s autonomy during labor by the active use of their bodies and non-pharmacological methods of pain management. Our study aimed to assess puerperal women’s perspective in face of the physiotherapeutic assistance received during labor. This study uses qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory approaches. Data were collected by a semi-structured survey for profile characterization and open-ended interviews containing questions on physiotherapeutic assistance and childbirth. Bardin’s content analysis was used to treat data. In total, 12 puerperal women were included. By analyzing the content of our survey, we created three main ideas: childbirth experience; physiotherapeutic assistance; and physical therapy for pain relief. We can conclude that in the perception of puerperal women, physiotherapeutic assistance plays an important role in reducing pain and anxiety, as it contributes to their emotional support and promotes relaxation.