Antenatal Education for Labour and Postpartum Pain: A Scoping Review of Content, Approaches, and Gaps

Background Pain management during labour and the postpartum period is a critical aspect of maternal care, yet many individuals face challenges in obtaining and implementing effective strategies. Antenatal education programmes play a key role in preparing expectant parents for childbirth and beyond, but their impact on women’s pain management remains unclear. Therefore, this review aims to explore and map the contents and characteristics of existing antenatal education programmes that address labour and postpartum pain, which could inform future efforts to develop and optimise these programmes. Methods This review followed the PRISMA-ScR and Joanna Briggs Institute guidelines. The protocol was registered with the Open Science Framework (6597j). 11 electronic databases were systematically searched in November 2024. Eligible studies were screened independently by two reviewers using Rayyan software. Inclusion criteria focussed on quantitative trials of antenatal education programmes addressing labour and postpartum pain outcomes. Data were extracted and a narrative synthesis was completed to map intervention characteristics and outcomes. Results A total of 5,876 records were identified from the search strategy. A total of 12 articles met the eligibility and inclusion criteria, including seven randomised controlled trials and five quasi-experimental studies. The content and structure of antenatal education interventions between studies was heterogenous. Common themes included the distinction between “true and false labour pain” and breathing exercises. Face-to-face delivery of antenatal education was the preferred delivery method. Conclusion Antenatal education programmes contain limited information on labour and postpartum pain management, with little consistency across interventions. Non-pharmacological pain management strategies have the potential to address biopsychosocial factors of pain and support coping in labour. We recommend the development of interventions based on pain science education principles to support pain-management during labour and in the postpartum.