HIGHLIGHTS
Pain in the immediate puerperium is frequent.
The intensity of pain is high.
The pain is predominantly in abdomen, perineum, and lower back.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES:
With the mother’s body’s changes in the immediate puerperium, painful conditions may arise that can interfere with the women functional activities. Knowing the characteristics of pain reported by puerperal women is essential to propose effective therapies for pain control. The objective of this study was to identify pain characteristics in women in the immediate puerperium after vaginal delivery.
METHODS:
A cross-sectional descriptive study was carried out with puerperal women hospitalized in the immediate postpartum period after vaginal delivery. The McGill Pain Questionnaire (Br-MPQ) was used to assess pain and a form was used to characterize the sample. Descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation, minimum, maximum, frequencies and percentages) were used to represent the variables.
RESULTS:
60 postpartum women participated. The most frequent pain characteristics were brief pain (63.4%), localized pain (96.7%), and deep pain (78.3%). The most cited pain category was sensory, and the most cited descriptors to define pain cramp/colic (71.7%), spreading in circles (58.4%), uncomfortable (56.7%), painful (46.7%) and throbbing (31.7%). The most frequent classification was intense pain (38.3%), in the abdomen (75.0%), the vaginal canal (36.7%), and the lumbar (20.0%).
CONCLUSION:
The most frequent complaint of pain was with strong intensity, deep and localized, with the abdominal region, vaginal canal, and lumbar most affected, and the most used descriptors for its characterization were cramp/colic, which spreads in circles, uncomfortable, sore and throbbing.
Keywords:
Natural childbirth; Pain; Physical therapy specialty; Postpartum period
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