Experience of Childbirth With Birth Ball: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

Objectives: Childbearing is considered as a great event in the lives of many women while the effect of pain on this event is undeniable. Thus, the think of pain and how to overcome it has engaged the minds of women, their family, and health-care providers. The birth ball is one of the non-invasive methods of pain control. Therefore, the present study aimed to evaluate the effect of the birth ball on the pain and self-efficacy of pregnant women during the childbirth process. Materials and Methods: This study was a randomized clinical trial. A total of 178 participants were selected based on the specific selection criteria and randomly allocated to control and intervention groups. The women in the intervention group were asked to join a planned exercise with the birth ball including a 20-minute well-defined exercise three times a week for 6–8 weeks at home whereas those in the control group followed up the routine prenatal cares. The questionnaires were completed by the participants at the four and eight-centimeter cervical dilations. Results: Based on the results, birth ball exercises could significantly improve childbirth self-efficacy and pain so that labour pain was lower in this group of women as compared to the other group (P<0.001 in both cervical dilatations). In addition, the score of selfefficacy was higher in the intervention group compared to the control group (P<0.001). Further, the result of generalized estimating equation model showed that birth ball exercise can decrease the childbirth pain. However, part of this effect may be related to an increase in the patients’ self-efficacy (30%-40%). Conclusions: In general, although birth ball exercise could decrease the childbirth pain, part of this effect was probably associated with an increase in self-efficacy of the patients.