Differences Between Classical Music Therapy Relaxation and Lavender Aromatherapy in Reducing Pain during the First Stage of Labor

Abstract

First-stage labor pain is a physiological experience that can affect the physical and psychological condition of the mother. Effective pain management is important to prevent excessive stress that can slow down the labor process. Non-pharmacological approaches such as classical music therapy and lavender aromatherapy are increasingly being used because they have minimal side effects and are more comfortable for the mother. The purpose of this study was to determine the difference in effectiveness between classical music therapy relaxation techniques and lavender aromatherapy in reducing first-stage pain in PMB Pera. This study used a quasi-experimental design with a pre-test and post-test approach in two groups. The number of samples was 32 mothers in active first stage labor who were divided by purposive sampling into two intervention groups. The first group was given classical music therapy, and the second group was given lavender aromatherapy. Pain intensity measurements were carried out using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS). Data analysis was performed using the Mann-Whitney test. The results showed a significant difference in reducing pain between the music therapy and lavender aromatherapy groups with a p value = 0.006 (p <0.05). The music therapy group showed a greater reduction in pain compared to the aromatherapy group. Classical music therapy and lavender aromatherapy were equally effective in reducing pain in the first stage, but classical music therapy was superior in reducing pain intensity. Both methods can be used as non-pharmacological intervention options in labor pain management.