AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY TO ASSESS THE EFFECTIVENESS OF BIRTHING BALL USAGE DURING LABOUR PAIN PERCEPTION AND LABOUR PROGRESS AMONG PREGNANT WOMEN IN A SELECTED HOSPITAL AT MEERUT

Abstract

Introduction: Labour pain is an intense physiological and psychological ordeal. In resource-limited or public healthcare settings in India, pharmacological analgesia is often unavailable or inaccessible due to infrastructure and personnel constraints. Non-pharmacological alternatives, such as birthing balls, provide low-cost, safe, and woman-centered support, yet rigorous experimental evidence within the Indian context remains limited. Objectives: 1. To Assess the post-test level of labour pain perception and progress of labour among pregnant women. 2. To Evaluate the effectiveness of birthing ball usage on labour pain perception and labour progress. 3. To Assess the relationship between labour pain perception and labour progress. 4. To Determine the association of labour pain perception and labour progress with selected maternal demographic variables. Methods: A quantitative approach utilizing a true experimental post-test only control group design was conducted in the labour room of a selected hospital at Meerut, Uttar Pradesh. Framed around Wiedenbach’s Helping Art of Clinical Nursing Theory, a sample of 60 low-risk, term (37–42 weeks) pregnant women in active labour (4 cm cervical dilation) with singleton vertex presentations was selected via non-probability convenience sampling. Participants were divided equally into an experimental group (n = 30), which received supervised birthing ball exercises (sitting, rocking, swaying) for 20 minute sessions, and a control group (n = 30), which received routine intrapartum care. Data were collected using a Demographic Data Sheet, a 0–10 Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) for pain, and a Modified WHO Partograph to monitor cervical dilation. Results: Literature synthesis and preliminary tracking suggest that the integration of birthing ball exercises significantly reduces subjective labour pain perception scores across varying stages of cervical dilation (3-4cm,5-6cm, 7-8cm) compared to standard recumbent or semi-Fowler positioning. Furthermore, the intervention group demonstrated an accelerated rate of cervical dilation and a shortened first stage of labour. A significant negative correlation is anticipated between maternal pain perception scores and the rate of physical labour progress. Conclusion: The usage of a birthing ball during the active phase of labour is an effective, non-invasive, and culturally acceptable nursing intervention that alleviates labour pain intensity and optimizes physiological progression. Integrating this low-cost practice into routine obstetric protocols can enhance respectful maternity care, maternal comfort, and delivery outcomes in public healthcare facilities.