The Effect of Oxytocin Massage on Labor Pain Intensity in Mothers at Manado Medical Center Hospital

Labor pain is a significant challenge faced by in-partum mothers, with a prevalence of 70% in Indonesia, and 40% of women reporting severe pain (Central Statistics Agency, 2022). Conventional pharmacological methods often do not provide optimal results and can cause side effects. As a non-pharmacological alternative, oxytocin massage has shown promise in reducing labor pain intensity by stimulating the endogenous production of oxytocin, a natural analgesic hormone. This study aimed to assess the effect of oxytocin massage on labor pain intensity in in-partum mothers at Manado Medical Center Hospital. A pre-experimental design with a one-group pre-test post-test approach was used. The sample consisted of 30 in-partum mothers who met the inclusion criteria. Pain intensity was measured using the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) before and after a 30-minute oxytocin massage administered by trained health workers. Data were analyzed using a paired t-test. The results showed a significant reduction in pain intensity from an average of 7.23 (SD=1.08) before the massage to 4.63 (SD=1.11) afterward, with a decrease of 2.6 points. The proportion of mothers experiencing severe pain decreased from 50% to 20%, while mild pain increased from 16.7% to 46.7%. The paired t-test revealed a highly significant difference with t=10.274 (df=29), p=0.000 (p<0.05). In conclusion, oxytocin massage is an effective non-pharmacological intervention that can significantly reduce labor pain and improve the birth experience. It can be incorporated into standard maternity nursing protocols to enhance maternal care.