Introduction: Pregnancy, independently of its multiplicity, always presents a challenge for a woman: it is a strong stressor for a woman's body and labor is a source of severe pain. It can also be an arduous, critical and traumatic experience. Thus it is important to conduct longitudinal research and look for variables which reduce both labor stress and pain. Aim: The aim of the research was to assess labor pain as well as the intensity of labor stress and their modificators for patients in labor. Material and method: The research was conducted using the method of a diagnostic questionnaire, a questionnaire technique and such instruments as: an authorship questionnaire, the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) to rate pain and the Cambridge Worry Scale (CWS) to rate labor stress. 68 respondents took part in the research. They were admitted for labor at the obstetrics ward of Klinika Ginekologii i Położnictwa CM UJ w Krakowie. Results: In the group of respondents, the average stress rate for all the respondents was below the middle point on the CWS, which shows a low stress level of the women in labor. The average intensity of pain rated by means of the NRS at the peak of pain was great and really great – above the middle point on the scale. Retrospective rating after labor showed that for over a half of the respondents their pain was greater than anticipated. Conclusions: The variables which significantly modified labor pain turned out to be: education, place of residence, partner's support, fetal presentation, newborn's length and suturing of episiotomised perineum. No significant relation was detected among the researched variables and labor stress.

Jagiellonian University Medical College Health Care Faculty Crakow

Martin, Slovensko, 2011

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