The effect of standing and squatting position on the birth process, satisfaction and trauma perception of multiparous pregnant women

This study is a randomized comparative interventional research conducted in a public hospital in Istanbul between June 2025 and October 2025 to examine the effects of standing and squatting positions applied during pain in labor on the delivery process, delivery comfort, and perception of traumatic delivery in multiparous pregnant women. A total of 82 pregnant women were assigned to groups according to a sampling method determined by power analysis; data were collected using a personal information form, the Birth Comfort Scale, and the Traumatic Birth Perception Scale. The findings showed that standing and squatting positions did not create a significant difference in terms of admission findings to the delivery room, labor process, pain levels, position preferences, and total delivery time. In both groups, childbirth was perceived as mostly low-traumatic, and women's levels of comfort during childbirth were similar. However, it was found that as comfort in the squatting position increased, the perception of traumatic childbirth decreased strongly and negatively; this relationship between physical, environmental, and psychospiritual comfort and the perception of trauma indicated the potential of the squatting position to improve the birth experience. In conclusion, both positions were found to be safe, feasible, and supportive of the physiological process during the first stage of labor; the squatting position, in particular, was shown to offer a significant advantage in clinical practice by reducing the perception of traumatic childbirth through increased comfort.