Intervention
In cold therapy group, a trained doula, who was a midwife,
applied a 25 9 15 cm ice bag filled with 500 gr ice covered
by a towel over back, abdomen and lower parts of the
abdomen for 10 minutes since initiation of active phase
and repeated 30 minutes later. Additionally, she applied a
15 9 10 cm cool pack filled with 200 gr ice over perineum
during the second phase of delivery for 5 minutes every
15 minutes. The intervals were selected based on the minimum
time for initiation of cold effect, 5–10 minutes, and
its long effect (Pasero & McCaffery 1999). To control the
supporter effect, the doula gave the same supportive cares
to mothers in the control group during the labour. Also,
the researcher had awarded. her about importance of similarity
in supportive cares and checked it during the study.
A bedside midwife did routine care in both groups, such as
control of foetal heart rate and uterine contractions, application
of oxytocin if it was necessary and perform delivery
and episiotomy. We did not apply additional interventions
except for routine care for control group. Vaginal examinations
were performed based on cervix situation and labour
progression, almost every 1 hour.