PREDICTORS OF CHILDBIRTH PAIN AND MATERNAL SATISFACTION

There is little multivariate, multiphasic research on childbirth pain and satisfaction. We explored the relationship of demographic, medical , psychological, and environmental variables at different times to mul tiple indices of pain and satisfaction in 70 primiparae and multiparae . Induced label; desirability of pregnancy, and coach's helpfulness pr edicted sensory pain. Duration of label; depression, and outcome expec tancy that childbirth education would facilitate medication-free child birth predicted affective pain. Physician-anticipated complications, i nduced labor and motivation to be medication-free predicted pain inten sity. Grade level predicted satisfaction. The results also demonstrate d differences between primiparae and multiparae in the pattern of vari ables that explained pain and satisfaction as well as the temporal sen sitivity of pain predictors. We discuss the implications of our findin gs for research and practice.