Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to identify pregnant women's efforts to induce labor during the seven days before parturition, and to clarify the relationship to medically induced labor.
Methods
A self-administered questionnaire survey was distributed to 694 puerperants in 20 hospitals, clinics, and maternity homes. Included were puerperants who had given birth to a full-term infant and met other inclusion criteria between July and October 2013.
Results
1. A total of 530 questionnaires (76.3% effective response rate) were analyzed.
2. Of the 530 puerperants, 491 (92.6%) made some kind of effort to induce labor. Multiple responses were allowed. Practices included the following: walking 66%, nipple stimulation 55%, squatting 44%, stair stepping 42%, acupuncture, moxa cautery, acupressure or the like 20%, laxatives 13% and sexual intercourse 9%.
3. Low-risk primiparas were analyzed using logistic regression analysis after adjusting for maternal age，gestation period and walking. The group that walked at moderate intensity at least 50 minutes or more per day or a total of 300 minutes or more during the seven days showed a significant decrease in the rate of medically induced labor compared to the other methods (OR 0.425 ; 95%CI:0.208-0.866).
4. Nipple stimulation was not performed as directed by previous research.
Conclusion
Exercise ranked the highest for pregnant women's efforts to induce labor. For low-risk primiparas, walking was associated with a significant decrease in medically induced labor.
