Effect of Different Birth Balls Used at the First Stage of Labor on Birth Outcomes and Maternal Satisfaction: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Objective: This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of different birth balls used at the first stage of labor on fetal head descent, pain intensity, and maternal satisfaction. Methods: This study used a single-blind, randomized controlled experimental design. It was conducted with 180 primipara women in a maternity hospital in Erzurum, Turkey between October 2018 and December 2019. Women were randomized into 3 groups: A=Control group (n=60), B=Spherical birth ball group (n=60), and C=Peanut ball group (n=60). Birth balls were initiated in the active phase in the first stage of labor when cervical dilatation was 4 cm. Data were collected using the Personal Information Form, the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), the Verbal Rating Scale (VRS), Partograph, and the Scale for Measuring Maternal Satisfaction in Birth (SMMSB). Results: In the active and transitional phases of labor, the VAS and VRS scores for labor pain perception of Group B were statistically significantly lower than the scores of Group A and C (p<.05). Compared to other groups, Group B had a faster rate of fetal head descent. Group B also had the highest maternal satisfaction rate (83.3%), and the difference between the groups was found to be significant (p<.05). Conclusion: This study revealed that different birth balls reduced pain, accelerated the rate of fetal head descent, and increased maternal satisfaction at the active and transition phases of the first stage of labor.