£10 purchase can reduce labour time by three hours and cut pain 20%

A simple piece of equipment available on the High Street can reduce the amount of time a pregnant woman spends in labour by three hours and reduce pain by two points on a 10-point scale. A Swiss Yoga Ball, also known as an exercise ball, has been found to make the process of giving birth significantly easier in a new study from Brazil.

Sitting on the ball during labour was also found to reduce fatigue and anxiety, and cut the risk of having to have a caesarean to 12%, from 26% in a control group of 100 women. Professor Elie Azria, head of the maternity ward at Paris Saint-Joseph Hospital, told France5 sitting on the large balls, moving gently, allows you to mobilize the pelvis well. Health journalist Géraldine Zamansky said: "This facilitates the softening of the ligaments, joints, and dilation of the cervix."

A gym ball can be bought on the High Street in any sports shop or on Amazon for as little as £10. The balls inflate to between 55cm and 85cm with a simple hand pump, foot pump or electric pump.

They are commonly used for yoga and pilates exercises, allowing a series of stretches and positions which tone muscles. An NHS spokesman said: "If possible, it's a good idea to keep moving during labour. Birthing balls (or birth balls) can help you stay active, ease labour pain and reduce the pain of contractions.

"They can also help you get into a more upright position, helping bring your baby’s head further down into the pelvis." You need to get a birthing ball that is the right size for your height. As a general guide, if you are:

• up to 1.73m (5ft 8in) in height - use a 65cm ball

• taller than 1.73m (5ft 8in) in height - use a 75cm ball

Ideally, your knees should be about 10cm (4in) lower than your hips when you sit on it. A birthing ball will take your weight, whatever your size. Good quality birthing balls are pressure-tested to support weights up to 300kg (about 47st).

The NHS warns: "Make sure that your birth ball is made from anti-burst material - this means if it gets a puncture, it deflates slowly, rather than pops. Only use a birth ball in labour if you've practised during pregnancy and feel safe and comfortable using it."