Aim This study aimed to determine the effect of plantar reflexology on the severity of labor pain and childbirth experience (primary outcomes) and the duration of labor stages (secondary outcomes). Methods This single‐blind randomized controlled trial was performed on 90 women in Al‐Zahra and Taleghani hospitals in Tabriz‐Iran. Participants were randomly assigned into three groups; Intervention 1 (two 30‐min massages at the effective point of pain for each sole), intervention 2 (one 30‐min massage at the effective point of pain and one 30‐min massage at the heel for each sole), and control (two 30‐minute heel massages). Massage was performed once in 4‐cm dilatation and the second time in 7‐cm dilatation. The severity of pain and childbirth experience were measured by Visual Analogue Scale and Labor Agentry Scale, respectively. Partograph chart was used to measure the length of labor stages. Results The severity of pain in intervention group 1 was significantly lower than the control group (AMD: −1.7; 9% confidence interval: −2.8 to −0.6; p = 0.001), but there was no significant difference between intervention groups 1 and 2 (p = 0.066) and intervention group 2 and control (p = 0.336). A significant difference was observed between groups in terms of length of the third stage of labor (p = 0.04). There was no significant difference between groups in terms of mean childbirth experience score (p = 0.217), duration of active phase (p = 0.099), and second stage of labor (p = 0.114). Conclusion The results of the study showed that plantar reflexology can reduce the severity of labor pain and the length of third stage of labor.

Objectives: The main role of women’s caregivers is to provide supportive care. This research aimed to determine the relationship between women’s satisfaction with personnel’s support during labor, fear of childbirth, and duration of labor stages. Methods: Following a cross-sectional design, this study was performed on 301 women at Taleghani and Alzahra hospitals of Tabriz, Iran. Fear of childbirth was assessed using Delivery Fear Scale (DFS) at 3 - 4 cm dilatation, and satisfaction with the personnel’s support was measured with Mackey’s satisfaction scale within 12 - 24 hours after delivery. The partograph diagram was used to assess the duration of the labor stages. The Pearson correlation test, independent t-test, one-way ANOVA, and multiple linear regression were used for data analysis. Results: The mean ± SD score of satisfaction with personnel’s support equaled 52.12 ± 13.9 (score range: 17 to 85), and the mean score of FSD equaled 40.2 ± 20.2 (score range: 10 to 100). Satisfaction with the personnel’s support showed a significant negative correlation with the fear of childbirth (r = -0.782, P < 0.001), duration of the active phase of labor (r = -0.14, P = 0.013), and total duration of labor (r = -0.14, P = 0.013). The multiple linear regression model indicated that fear of childbirth (β = -0.53; 95% CI: -0.58 to -0.48; P < 0.001) and total duration of labor (β = -0.007, 95% CI: -0.013 to -0.001; P = 0.029) were inversely related with the women’s satisfaction with the personnel’s support. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the FOC and prolonged labor can decrease satisfaction with the personnel’s support during labor.