The Effect of Birthing Ball Exercises on Labor Pain and Labor Outcome Among Primigraviade Parturient Mothers at a Tertiary Care Hospital

Every woman has the right to respectful and empathetic care during childbirth that addresses her needs for pain management, and allows her the liberty to make it a memorable experience. This study aimed to assess the effect of birthing ball exercises on labor pain and labor outcome among primigravidae parturients at a tertiary care hospital. A quasi-experimental design was used. A total of 60 primigravidae with 30 each in the control and experiment groups were selected by consecutive sampling. Primigravidae in the experiment group underwent two sessions of 20 minutes of birthing ball exercises at a subsequent gap of one hour during their active phase of labor (>4 cm cervical dilation). Primigravidae in the control group received routine standard care that included continuous observation and monitoring of vital signs and progress of labor. The visual analog scale (VAS) score was assessed in the transition phase (cervical dilation 8 cm to 10cm) and labor outcomes were assessed after delivery in both groups. The experiment group had significantly better labor outcomes in terms of labor pain, cervical dilatation, and duration of labor compared to the primigravidae in the control group (p