Labor rehearsal: simulating birth emergencies to ease anxiety
NCT ID NCT03654079
First seen Jun 24, 2026 · Last updated Jul 31, 2026 · Updated 2 times
Summary
This study tests whether simulating common stressful events during labor—like a drop in baby's heart rate or an emergency C-section—can reduce fear and anxiety in first-time pregnant women. Fifty women in their third trimester will practice these scenarios and then report their childbirth experience. The goal is to see if knowing what to expect improves satisfaction and reduces negative feelings.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- simulation of labor events
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could give hospitals a simple, low-cost way to help first-time mothers feel less anxious and more prepared for childbirth.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study with only 50 participants. The simulations may not reflect real labor, and results may not apply to all women or hospitals.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 50 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Jan 2027
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Nov 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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18 to 44 years
- Sex
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Female participants only
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Nulliparous pregnant women * In third trimester Exclusion Criteria: • Not planning on delivering with Wake Forest School of Medicine OB/GYN
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Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Wake Forest Baptist Health Downtown Health Plaza
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 27103, United States
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