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Psychosomatic Medicine 36:215-223 (1974)
© 1974 American Psychosomatic Society

Psychological Correlates of Childbirth Pain

BARBARA DAVENPORT-SLACK MS1 and CLAIRE HAMBLIN BOYLAN RN, MS1

1 Medfield State Hospital, Medfield, Massachusetts and Massasoit Community College, Brockton, Massachusetts

Address for reprint requests: Barbara Davenport-Slack, 45 Nebo Street, Medfield, Massachusetts 02052

The purpose of this study was to determine why childbirth pain and the childbirth experience are reported to vary so vastly. The correlation and relative contribution of eleven psychological and background variables to six childbirth outcome measures were investigated. Predictor variables included natural childbirth training, age, gravida, education, menstrual pain, first menstrual experience, sexual desire, wanting husband to be present, medication expectation, and general overt reaction to pain. The six criteria variables are labor length, behavior, medication amount, self-report of pain, childbirth description, and testimony.

Findings indicated that the most important factors contributing to childbirth outcome were: training, attitudes toward childbirth, reaction to pain in general, medication expectation, and desire for husband's presence. Childbirth training did not contribute to the variance of labor length, self-report of pain, or childbirth description. None of the predictors influenced self-report of pain. The underlying factor involved in contributing to a positive childbirth experience appears to be the woman's desire to be an active participant in her labor and delivery.

Submitted on June 28, 1973
Revised on November 14, 1973




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