The effect of reflexology applied in the postpartum period on pain, fatigue, sleep quality and lactation

The aim of this research is to determine the effect of foot reflexology applied to primiparous women who had cesarean delivery in the postpartum period on pain, fatigue, sleep quality and lactation. This research is a randomized controlled trial. The study was conducted in Şanlıurfa, the province with the highest fertility rate in Turkey. The sample of the research consisted of 80 primiparous women (reflexology group: 40 and control group: 40). The women in the study were randomly assigned to the experimental and control groups before starting the application. The data were collected between 01 January 2020 - 31 January 2021. 'Introductory Information Form' , 'Visual Analog Scale' , 'Visual Analogue Scale for Fatigue' , 'Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index' and 'Bristol Breastfeeding Assessment Tool' were used as data collection tools. Foot reflexology was applied to the experimental group for 40 minutes once a week for postpartum eight weeks. The control group was only watched. In the comparison of the experimental and control groups, chi-square for categorical variables and independent groups t-test for numerical variables were used. The difference between the scale mean scores of the experimental and control groups was determined by the Man Whitney U test. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA test was performed in terms of time and group interaction in repeated measurements. It was found that the means Visual Analog Scale scores for pain in the experimental group decreased more than the control group. Pain level was found to end in the fourth week in the experimental group and in the seventh week in the control group. It was determined that the fatigue level of the experimental group decreased significantly compared to the control group, and the sleep quality and lactation level increased significantly. As a result, it has been determined that foot reflexology applied to women who gave birth by cesarean in the postpartum period reduces the level of pain and fatigue, and positively affects sleep quality and lactation. The use of reflexology app can be recommended in postpartum nursing care.