Partner presence in labor: does it influence maternal anxiety and childbirth experience beyond pain?
- 1Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Torbali State Hospital, Izmir, Turkey. [email protected].
- 2Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Torbali State Hospital, Izmir, Turkey.
Abstract
Objective
To evaluate the association between partner presence during labor and maternal state anxiety, birth satisfaction, and pain perception in women undergoing spontaneous labor.Methods
This prospective comparative observational study included women with singleton term pregnancies, spontaneous active labor, and vaginal delivery. Women with labor induction, epidural analgesia, additional obstetric pathology, systemic disease, or known psychiatric illness were excluded. Maternal anxiety was assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Form TX-1 (STAI TX-1) during active labor, pain intensity using a visual analog scale (VAS) during the active phase, and birth satisfaction using the Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised (BSS-R) within the first 24 h postpartum.Results
Of the 168 women, 68 labored with partner presence and 100 without. Women accompanied by their partner had significantly lower STAI TX-1 scores and higher BSS-R scores than those without partner accompaniment (both p < 0.001), whereas VAS pain scores did not differ significantly between groups (p = 0.428). Birth satisfaction was inversely correlated with anxiety (Spearman's rho=-0.373, p < 0.001) and weakly positively correlated with pain (Spearman's rho = 0.198, p = 0.010). In multivariable analyses, partner presence remained independently associated with lower anxiety (unstandardized regression coefficient [B]=-5.24, 95% CI -7.14 to -3.34, p < 0.001) and higher birth satisfaction (B = 2.57, 95% CI 1.24 to 3.90, p < 0.001).Conclusion
Partner presence during labor was associated with lower maternal anxiety and higher birth satisfaction, without a significant difference in pain intensity. These findings suggest that the beneficial contribution of partner accompaniment may be more closely related to psychological and experiential factors than to pain reduction alone during the childbirth process.
Related
- The Effect of Prenatal Education and Home Telecare Provided According to Watson Care Model on Spouses’ Readiness for Childbirth, Fear of Childbirth, and Maternal and Paternal Attachment: A Case Report
- Associations Between Childbirth-Related Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Mother–Infant Bonding Difficulties: The Role of Maternal Stress and Perceived Infant Regulatory Difficulties
- Identifying pregnant women with severe fear of childbirth using the Japanese version of the Wijma Delivery Expectancy/Experience Questionnaire: A cross‐sectional study
- Association of phubbing with fear of childbirth and early maternal–infant bonding: a prospective observational study
- Studying the effect of implementing the World Health Organization's labor and delivery management program on improving mothers' experience and satisfaction of childbirth.
BibTeX
@article{atay2026partner,
title = {{Partner presence in labor: does it influence maternal anxiety and childbirth experience beyond pain?}},
author = {Arif Onur Atay and Samican Ozmen and Mucahit Furkan Balci and Ozgen Nahya Ozdogar},
journal = {BMC pregnancy and childbirth},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1186/s12884-026-09701-1},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42894171},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Partner presence in labor: does it influence maternal anxiety and childbirth experience beyond pain?
AU - Arif Onur Atay
AU - Samican Ozmen
AU - Mucahit Furkan Balci
AU - Ozgen Nahya Ozdogar
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/01
JO - BMC pregnancy and childbirth
DO - 10.1186/s12884-026-09701-1
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42894171
AB - Objective To evaluate the association between partner presence during labor and maternal state anxiety, birth satisfaction, and pain perception in women undergoing spontaneous labor.Methods This prospective comparative observational study included women with singleton term pregnancies, spontaneous active labor, and vaginal delivery. Women with labor induction, epidural analgesia, additional obstetric pathology, systemic disease, or known psychiatric illness were excluded. Maternal anxiety was assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Form TX-1 (STAI TX-1) during active labor, pain intensity using a visual analog scale (VAS) during the active phase, and birth satisfaction using the Birth Satisfaction Scale-Revised (BSS-R) within the first 24 h postpartum.Results Of the 168 women, 68 labored with partner presence and 100 without. Women accompanied by their partner had significantly lower STAI TX-1 scores and higher BSS-R scores than those without partner accompaniment (both p < 0.001), whereas VAS pain scores did not differ significantly between groups (p = 0.428). Birth satisfaction was inversely correlated with anxiety (Spearman's rho=-0.373, p < 0.001) and weakly positively correlated with pain (Spearman's rho = 0.198, p = 0.010). In multivariable analyses, partner presence remained independently associated with lower anxiety (unstandardized regression coefficient [B]=-5.24, 95% CI -7.14 to -3.34, p < 0.001) and higher birth satisfaction (B = 2.57, 95% CI 1.24 to 3.90, p < 0.001).Conclusion Partner presence during labor was associated with lower maternal anxiety and higher birth satisfaction, without a significant difference in pain intensity. These findings suggest that the beneficial contribution of partner accompaniment may be more closely related to psychological and experiential factors than to pain reduction alone during the childbirth process.
SN - 1471-2393
ER -