Midwives are the best agents responsible for making labour event as a joyful and cheerful experience to cherish throughout women’s life. Reducing anxiety and gaining confidence by enhancing knowledge about childbirth can be considered an important factor in influencing a primiparturient’s intrapartum behaviour and birthing experience. Educating the women regarding labour events, roles to be performed during labour process reduces anxiety and facilitates effective intrapartum coping behaviour.

Methodology: An experimental study was conducted to assess the effectiveness of a video assisted labour process teaching on anxiety and intrapartum behaviour among primiparturients during active labour in selected maternity units of tertiary care hospitals of Western Maharashtra. Total 88 primiparturients having singleton pregnancy at and above 37 weeks of gestation were selected through purposive sampling technique followed by random allocation into experimental(n=44) and control group(n=44) by chit method. Tools used were Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) for assessing anxiety and Intrapartum Behavioural Observation Rating Scale for assessing intrapartum behaviour. Pre intervention anxiety was assessed during latent labour followed by administration of video assisted labour process teaching in experimental group and routine care in control group. Post intervention anxiety level and intrapartum behaviour among primiparturients were assessed during active labour.

Results: The difference of mean anxiety score during latent and active labour revealed anxiety score 10.2 + 6.85 in experimental group as compared to anxiety score -11.02 + 4.526 in control group (z= 7.92; p<0.0001). The study revealed that there was a moderate positive correlation (r=0.59) and strong positive correlation (r=0.88) between anxiety during latent phase and active labour in experimental group and control group respectively which was highly significant at level of significance p<0.0001. The mean intra-partum behaviour score increased from 28.45 + 19.756 in control group to 68.55 + 21.521 in experimental group (p<0.0001). Also, there is a strong negative correlation between anxiety and intrapartum behaviour during active labour in experimental group (r = -0.795, P<0.0001).

Conclusion: Study revealed that video assisted labour process teaching as an effective method of reducing anxiety and promoting effective intrapartum behaviour among primiparturients during active labour. Also, it is a cost effective method and can be used by midwives independently to develop maternal confidence and effective intrapartum coping strategies during labour.