BACKGROUND:
Despite evidence supporting continuous support during childbirth, has not been considered a priority in many settings, particularly in low- and middle-income countries such as Mongolia due to overcrowding, limited resources, and infection control concerns.

OBJECTIVES:
To explore the effect of continuous support during labor by midwifery students on women's childbirth experience and birth outcomes in a public maternity hospital.

METHODS:
Quasi-experimental before and after design was at a public maternity hospitals in the Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia (September 2019-January 2020). Senior midwifery students provided 24/7 continuous support to groups of 2-4 women sharing labor/delivery rooms during a 42-day intervention period. Childbirth Experience Questionnaire (CEQ) and birth outcomes from 420 pre-intervention and 408 intervention participants were collected.

RESULTS:
Participants mean age was 28.5 (±5.3) years; most were married with >12 years education and adequate antenatal care. Groups showed no significant baseline characteristics. Labor room duration was significantly shorter for multiparous women in the intervention group (6.2±4.8 vs 5.2±2.4 hours) and those receiving oxytocin augmentation (7.8±5.5 vs 6.8±1.6 hours). No differences were found in oxytocin use, episiotomy, or perineal tears. CEQ domain scores (own capacity, professional support, perceived safety, participation) and overall scores were significantly higher in the intervention group.

CONCLUSIONS:
The intervention significantly improved women's childbirth experience, satisfaction, and labor duration. It was well accepted by labouring women, faculty members, students, and hospital health providers.

KEY MESSAGE:
This study demonstrates the feasibility of providing low-cost continuous support during childbirth by midwifery students for small groups of women, even in settings with limited space and high patient volume. Poster session 1 (Group A)