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Introduction
There is growing interest in the use of sterile water injections (SWI’s) for pain
relief, however many midwives do not offer this option as part of their practice (Lee
et al., 2012; Lee et al., 2019). Non-pharmacological approaches such as SWI’s are
beneficial because not only do they relieve back pain, they do not pose additional
risk to women and their babies (Lee et al., 2013a; Bonapeace et al., 2018). Only one
study (Lee, Kildea & Stapleton, 2017) in Australia has investigated the qualitative
aspects of using this form of pain relief during labour. Two of the authors of this
presentation recently published an integrative review about exploring women’s and
midwives’ experiences and perceptions about administering SWI’s as a form of pain
relief for back pain during labour.
Aim
The aim of this research was to explore midwives’ perceptions about the experiences
of using SWI’s as a method of pain relief for back pain during labour.
Methods
This was a qualitative exploratory study that captured midwives’ experiences using
in-depth interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data which involved
listening to the recorded data, reading transcripts of data multiple times, identifying
and labeling codes in the data, and developing themes and subthemes (Clarke & Braun,
2017).
Results
Positive effects of SWI’s for women included rapid pain relief, improved ability to
relax and speeding up the birth process. Midwives believed that two injections were
just as good as four and that the bigger the bleb the more effective the analgesia.
Conclusion
Our study found that midwives were more likely to administer SWI’s for back pain for
women if hospital guidelines and policies were in place in birth units and midwives
needing to feel confident in the technique. This non-pharmacological option for pain
relief was especially beneficial for occipito-posterior positions.
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© 2022 Published by Elsevier Inc.
