The Effect of Using a Birth Ball and Squatting Position During Labor

The Effect of Using a Birth Ball and Squatting Position During Labor on Labor Pain, Duration of Labor and Satisfaction

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of using the birth ball and squatting position during labor on labor pain, duration of labor and satisfaction. The research is a randomized controlled experimental study. The sample of the study consisted of a total of 159 pregnant women, 53 in the birthing ball application group, 53 in the squatting group, and 53 in the control group, who met the criteria for inclusion in the study.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Satisfaction, Patient; Labor Pain; Labor Fast
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Birth ball; Other: Squatting

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 159
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey
  • Istanbul, Turkey
    • Istanbul University-Cerrahpasa

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 35 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• No risky pregnancy
• Gestational week between 37-42
• Unopened amniotic membrane
• Those who will give birth vaginally
• In active phase
• Fluent in Turkish
• Singleton pregnancy
• Primiparous

Exclusion Criteria:

• Any complication development
• Cesarean section status

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Birth Ball Group; In the active and transitional phases, during contractions, performing exercises on the birth ball (fully rotating the hip, moving to the right/left, coming back and forth, and slightly bouncing while sitting on the birth ball) (average 25 minutes). In order to monitor the condition of the fetus, exercises on the birth ball were performed by the pregnant woman during contractions while connected to NST.	Other: Birth ball; Exercises for childbirth
Experimental: Squatting Group; In the active and transitional phase, squatting position (squatting with feet shoulder-width apart by laying a clean sheet on the floor and getting support from a bed, chair or birth ball) during contractions (average 25 minutes). In order to monitor the condition of the fetus, the squatting position was used by the pregnant woman during contractions while connected to the NST.	Other: Squatting; Exercises for childbirth
No Intervention: Control Group; Usual routine care of the service.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Personal and Obstetric Information Form	This form, prepared by the researcher, consists of 45 questions including sociodemographic, obstetric and obstetric follow-up information of women.	pre-intervention
Visual Analog Scale (VAS)	It is a measuring instrument with a score between 0 (no pain) and 10 (severe pain), divided equally by marks on a horizontal or vertical 10 cm line. Horizontal form was used in the research. The scale was used to assess the severity of pain.	latent, active and transition phase of labor
Partogram	It is a graphical form used to evaluate the progress of birth and the health status of the baby.	active phase of labor
Evaluation Scale for Maternal Satisfaction with Normal Delivery	This is used to assess the mother's level of satisfaction at birth. The scale, which has a validity and reliability of 0.91 in Turkey, was developed by Güngör and Beji in 2009. It is a 5-point Likert-type scale consisting of 43 items and 10 sub-dimensions.	Postpartum at the 4th hour

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Fatma Dünmez
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Fatma Dünmez, Midwife, Istanbul University - Cerrahpasa (IUC)

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Gungor I, Beji NK. Development and psychometric testing of the scales for measuring maternal satisfaction in normal and caesarean birth. Midwifery. 2012 Jun;28(3):348-57. doi: 10.1016/j.midw.2011.03.009. Epub 2011 May 4.
• Lavender T, Cuthbert A, Smyth RM. Effect of partograph use on outcomes for women in spontaneous labour at term and their babies. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018 Aug 6;8(8):CD005461. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD005461.pub5.
• Yeung MPS, Tsang KWK, Yip BHK, Tam WH, Ip WY, Hau FWL, Wong MKW, Ng JWY, Liu SH, Chan SSW, Law CK, Wong SYS. Birth ball for pregnant women in labour research protocol: a multi-centre randomised controlled trial. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2019 May 6;19(1):153. doi: 10.1186/s12884-019-2305-8.

Helpful Links

• Ministry of Health Partograph Circular

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): July 3, 2021
• Primary Completion (Actual): January 20, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): June 24, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: April 26, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: April 30, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): May 4, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 28, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 26, 2022
• Last Verified: July 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Satisfaction; Labor Pain; Duration of labor; Birth ball; Squatting
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Labor Pain
• Other Study ID Numbers: ISBASP

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No