VR Experiences of Pregnant Women During Antenatal Care

Pregnant women use a range of non-pharmacological pain relief methods to help manage and reduce pain intensity and to induce relaxation. We conducted a study with 18 pregnant women to explore VR experiences as a non-pharmacological method of pain relief to determine the effect on pain intensity. The results of the study identified several themes: evoking emotion with sub-themes, memory, and imagination. The theme presence, with sub-themes of relatability, realism, immersion, interactivity, and narration. Finally, the escape and anchoring themes were descriptions of how women envisaged using VR antenatally. This study provides a novel contribution to the field of VR and antenatal and labour care which can help inform the design of VR experiences for pregnant women.