Abstract
To investigate changes in husband's “engrossed behaviors” and verbal motivations made by a midwife to induce husband's “engrossed behaviors” during labor in the presence of the husband, video recording from the latter half of phase of maximal slope of the first stage of labor to the completion of labor and analysis of the obtained video tapes were performed using 15 pairs, primiparas and their husbands.
Among husband's engrossed behavio rs, the frequencies of affectionate behaviors and concentration reactions were significantly higher in the second stage, as compared with the latter half of phase of maximal slope and deceleration phase of the first stage (p<0.01). The frequencies of verbal motivations by a midwife, which included calling associated with laborpains and made the husband perceive phenomena associated with labor, were significantly higher in the second stage, as comperd with the latter half of phase of maximal slope and deceleration phase of the first stage (p< 0.01). The frequencies of midwife's callings associated with labor pains during the second stage was positively correlated with the frequencies of husband's physical contacts to his wife (r=0.673, p< 0.01) and that of concentration reactions (r=0.551, p< 0.05). The frequency of verbal motivations that made the husband more perceive phenomena of labor was positively correlated with the frequencies of husband's stares on his wife (r=0.536, p < 0.05) and that of concentration reactions (r=0.922, p<0.01).
From these result, the role of midwife as a labor guide for the husband was c larified, but the need for descriptive studies on husband's emotional changes during labor was also suggested at the same time.
