<b>Indications and impact of the use of the birth ball by nurses and women in childbirth</b> - doi: 10.4025/cienccuidsaude.v11i3.17657

Abstract

The birth ball allows women to move freely and provides pain relief during labor. Although it is used by the care team, there are neither records nor criteria for its application. This qualitative research case study aimed to know the indication and implications of the use of the birth ball among nurses and pregnant women during labor. Participants were 16 women and 6 nurses, and two data collection strategies were used: naturalistic observation and semi-structured interviews. From the thematic analysis two themes regarding the use of the ball emerged: indication and implications. Prescription by nurses had pain relief as the main reason for women to use the ball in the early active phase of labor. Women and nurses reported that the use of the ball contributed to pain relief. It was also noticed that the use of the birth ball contributed to labor evolution.