Intervention
Warm showers were the therapeutic intervention.
We gave all potential participants an educational
flier that explained the intervention and listed
its requirements, including (a) participant allows
preshower session checks of fetal heartbeat and
cervix dilation, (b) all participants accompanied
by spouse, family member, etc., (c) water temperature
maintained at 37 degrees Celsius (C),
and (d) sessions last 20 minutes. Prior to enrollment,
we monitored the fetal heartbeat and cervical
dilations of experimental group candidates for
30 minutes to confirm normal labor progression.
We also helped administer the first 20-minute intervention
session. After a 5-minute full-body or
lower-back shower, participants were permitted to
direct shower water anywhere that felt most comfortable.
Nurses allowed participants to stand and
sit as desired. After the first session, nurses monitored
the fetal heartbeat and dilation status for at
least 20 minutes every hour. Given continued normal
labor progression, we allowed participants to
take 20-minute accompanied warm showers as
desired.