Labor Position and Maternal Birth ExperienceNCT07383181
Standing vs. Squatting Positions During Labor
A study testing Standing Position During Labor and Squatting Position During Labor in people with Labor Position and Maternal Birth Experience, run by Biruni University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
Trial summary
Background: Maternal position during labor is a key non-pharmacological strategy that supports physiological birth and women's active participation in the childbirth process. Although upright positions have been associated with favorable labor outcomes compared with supine positions, evidence directly comparing… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older, women onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Labor Position and Maternal Birth Experience
- What is being tested?
- Standing Position During Labor and Squatting Position During Labor
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 82 participants
- Where
- 1 siteTurkey (Türkiye)
- Study dates
- 1 Jun 2025to 30 Oct 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- Women only
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Multiparous women aged ≥18 years
- Gestational age between 38 and 42 weeks
- Singleton pregnancy with cephalic presentation
- Cervical dilatation ≥4 cm at admission
- Low-risk pregnancy
- Willingness to participate and provide written informed consent
Who cannot join
- Multiple pregnancy
- Presentation anomalies
- High-risk pregnancy (e.g., preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, placenta-related complications)
- Fetal distress or known fetal anomalies
- Any medical or obstetric condition requiring restricted mobility during labor
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
Official title: The Effect of Standing and Squatting Positions During the First Stage of Labor on Birth Process, Birth Comfort, and Perceived Traumatic Birth Experience Among Multiparous Women
Background: Maternal position during labor is a key non-pharmacological strategy that supports physiological birth and women's active participation in the childbirth process. Although upright positions have been associated with favorable labor outcomes compared with supine positions, evidence directly comparing different upright positions-particularly in relation to maternal birth experience and perceived traumatic birth-remains limited.
Objective: This study aimed to compare the effects of standing and squatting positions during the first stage of labor on the birth process, birth comfort, pain intensity, and perceived traumatic birth experience among multiparous women.
Methods: This study was conducted using a comparative interventional design. A total of 82 multiparous women were included and allocated to either the standing group (n=41) or the squatting group (n=41) during labor. Data were collected using a personal information form, the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain, the Labor Comfort Scale, and the Traumatic Birth Perception Scale. Outcomes were assessed during labor and within the first two hours postpartum. Statistical analyses included comparative and correlation analyses.
- Being tested
- Standing Position During Labor, Squatting Position During Labor
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Standing Position During LaborBehavioural
Women were encouraged to remain standing or to walk during contraction-related pain episodes throughout the first stage of labor under midwife supervision.
Squatting Position During LaborBehavioural
Women were encouraged to assume the squatting position during contractions during the first stage of labor, supported by a birthing ball or bed rails according to preference.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Standing Position Group | Experimental | Participants assigned to this group followed a standing position-based labor management approach during the first stage of labor. Receives: Behavioral: Standing Position During Labor |
| Squatting Position Group | Experimental | Participants assigned to this group followed a squatting position-based labor management approach during the first stage of labor. Receives: Behavioral: Squatting Position During Labor |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Total Labor Duration
Total duration of labor measured in hours.
Measured: From active labor onset (cervical dilatation ≥4 cm) to delivery
Birth Duration
Duration of the birth process measured in minutes.
Measured: From the active phase of labor to birth
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted3 Feb 2026
- Study start1 Jun 2025
- Primary completion30 Oct 2025
- Study completion30 Oct 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Labor Position and Maternal Birth ExperienceStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 82 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Biruni University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Nilgun Avci, Biruni University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07383181
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Standing vs. Squatting Positio
- Status last verified
- Feb 2026
- First submitted
- 14 Jan 2026
- Last updated
- 3 Feb 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 3 Feb 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Effect of Standing and Squatting Positions During the First Stage of Labor on Birth Process, Birth Comfort, and Perceived Traumatic Birth Experience Among Multiparous Women
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07383181
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Standing vs. Squatting Positio
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 82 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Biruni UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 1 Jun 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Oct 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 30 Oct 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 3 Feb 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Background: Maternal position during labor is a key non-pharmacological strategy that supports physiological birth and women's active participation in the childbirth process. Although upright positions have been associated with favorable labor outcomes compared with supine positions, evidence directly comparing different upright positions-particularly in relation to maternal birth experience and perceived traumatic birth-remains limited.
Objective: This study aimed to compare the effects of standing and squatting positions during the first stage of labor on the birth process, birth comfort, pain intensity, and perceived traumatic birth experience among multiparous women.
Methods: This study was conducted using a comparative interventional design. A total of 82 multiparous women were included and allocated to either the standing group (n=41) or the squatting group (n=41) during labor. Data were collected using a personal information form, the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain, the Labor Comfort Scale, and the Traumatic Birth Perception Scale. Outcomes were assessed during labor and within the first two hours postpartum. Statistical analyses included comparative and correlation analyses.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Treatment
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Standing Position Group | Experimental | Behavioral: Standing Position During LaborParticipants assigned to this group followed a standing position-based labor management approach during the first stage of labor. |
| Squatting Position Group | Experimental | Behavioral: Squatting Position During LaborParticipants assigned to this group followed a squatting position-based labor management approach during the first stage of labor. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- Female only
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Multiparous women aged ≥18 years
- Gestational age between 38 and 42 weeks
- Singleton pregnancy with cephalic presentation
- Cervical dilatation ≥4 cm at admission
- Low-risk pregnancy
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Multiple pregnancy
- Presentation anomalies
- High-risk pregnancy (e.g., preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, placenta-related complications)
- Fetal distress or known fetal anomalies
- Any medical or obstetric condition requiring restricted mobility during labor
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Standing Position During LaborWomen were encouraged to remain standing or to walk during contraction-related pain episodes throughout the first stage of labor under midwife supervision. | Behavioural | Standing Position Group |
| Squatting Position During LaborWomen were encouraged to assume the squatting position during contractions during the first stage of labor, supported by a birthing ball or bed rails according to preference. | Behavioural | Squatting Position Group |
Primary outcome
Total Labor Duration
Time frame: From active labor onset (cervical dilatation ≥4 cm) to delivery
Total duration of labor measured in hours.
Birth Duration
Time frame: From the active phase of labor to birth
Duration of the birth process measured in minutes.
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 3 Feb 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Standing Position During Labor and Squatting Position During Labor in people with Labor Position and Maternal Birth Experience, run by Biruni University at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye).
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 3 Feb 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Total Labor Duration (time frame: From active labor onset (cervical dilatation ≥4 cm) to delivery). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 3 Feb 2026.