'Soothing the ring of fire': Australian women's and midwives' experiences of using perineal warm packs in the second stage of labour.

Objective: to determine women's and midwives' experiences of using perineal warm packs in the second stage of labour.

Design: as part of a randomised controlled trial (Warm Pack Trial), women and midwives were asked to complete questionnaires about the effects of the warm packs on pain, perineal trauma, comfort, feelings of control, satisfaction and intentions for use during future births.

Setting: two hospitals in Sydney, Australia.

Perineal outcomes and maternal comfort related to the application of perineal warm packs in the second stage of labor: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Perineal warm packs are widely used during childbirth in the belief that they reduce perineal trauma and increase comfort during late second stage of labor. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of applying warm packs to the perineum on perineal trauma and maternal comfort during the late second stage of labor.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial was undertaken.