Background This study aimed to determine the prevalence and pattern of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use by and attitudes towards CAM of Turkish women during pregnancy and birth. Methods This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study that included 260 women who gave birth in a university hospital. The Personal Information Form and Complementary, Alternative and Conventional Medicine Attitudes Scale (CACMAS) were used as data collection tools. Results A total of 71.5% of the pregnant women received CAM. Phytotherapy, spiritual meditation and therapeutic touch techniques were the most frequently used techniques. A total of 42.7% women used herbal products. The mean score of the women on the CACMAS scale was 108.37 ± 7.71; this result indicates that pregnant women had a positive attitude. There were significant differences in attitudes according to marital status, education level and place of residence. It was determined that there was a significant difference in the CACMAS scores of the women according to the symptoms experienced during pregnancy, CAM use during pregnancy and the concerns about triggering preterm birth by using CAM methods (p < 0.05). Conclusion Although the women commonly used CAM methods during pregnancy, the rate of using these methods during birth considerably decreased. Despite such widespread use, pregnant women have concerns about CAM methods. Therefore, health professionals must actively provide counselling on CAM methods for the protection of maternal and infant health.

Aim: The present study investigates the effects of lavender oil and ice applications on episiotomy pain and wound healing. Materials and Methods: This study was organized as a semi-randomized controlled type of research. A total of 96 term pregnant women who gave birth in the delivery service of Nazilli State Hospital and underwent episiotomy at birth, had a Visual Analog Skala (VAS) value greater than 3 and agreed to participate in the study were included in the study. The patient information form, the Visual Analog Scale, and the REEDA Scale were used for data collection. The research data was analyzed using number, percentage, the chi-square test, the Kruskal Wallis test, the Mann-Whitney U test, One-Way Anova test, Tukey HD test, and the Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test. Results: The mean VAS values of the groups before the application were 7.90±0.92 for the lavender group, 8.29±1.03 for the ice group, and 8.00±1.00 for the control group. In addition, it was found that there was a statistically significant difference between the VAS values between the groups after the application (p&lt;0.05), and the mean VAS values in the intervention groups decreased (Lavender group 6.84±1.08, ice group 5.70±1.53). While there was no statistically significant difference in the mean REEDA recovery scores between the groups before the application (p=0.912), there was a statistically significant difference in the REEDA recovery scores of the intervention groups and the control group after the application (p=0.000). Conclusion: According to the findings of the study, lavender oil and ice applications used after labor reduce perineal pain and accelerate wound healing.