Empowered Relief for Severe Pain After Cesarean Delivery During the Inpatient Period

Severe acute pain following cesarean delivery may interfere with postpartum recovery and functioning. This pilot feasibility study will evaluate the feasibility of delivering Empowered Relief (ER) during the inpatient postpartum period to patients experiencing severe pain following cesarean delivery. Eligible participants experiencing severe pain, defined as at least 2 numeric rating scale (NRS) pain scores \>6/10 during the inpatient postpartum period, will be enrolled during their inpatient postpartum hospitalization and randomized 1:1 to an intervention or control group. Participants assigned to the intervention group will receive ER in addition to standard postpartum care. ER is a single 120-minute pain relief skills class that includes pain education, cognitive behavioral skills such as relaxation, deep breathing, and cognitive reframing, and development of a personalized plan. Participants will also receive access to a relaxation resource and weekly supportive text messages. Participants assigned to the control group will receive standard postpartum care alone. The primary objective is to assess the feasibility of delivering the ER intervention during the inpatient postpartum period. Additional feasibility and acceptability outcomes include recruitment, registration and attendance at the ER session, treatment satisfaction, treatment skills use, adherence to study procedures, and participant retention. Pain-related patient-reported outcomes will also be explored over the 12-week follow-up period. Participants will complete follow-up assessments at 3, 6, and 12 weeks postpartum, with brief PEG pain assessments collected weekly through week 12.