Benefits of Doula Support
Numerous clinical studies have found that a doula providing birth support tends to
Research shows parents who receive a birth doula's support can
- Result in shorter labors with fewer complications
- Reduces negative feelings about one's childbirth experience
- Reduces the need for pitocin (a labor-inducing drug), forceps or
- Vacuum extraction and cesareans
- Reduces the mother's request for pain medication and/or epidurals
Research shows parents who receive a birth doula's support can
- Feel more secure and cared for
- Are more successful in adapting to new family dynamics
- Have greater success with breastfeeding
- Have greater self-confidence to make informed decisions
- Have less postpartum depression
Doulas and Dads
Some dads who don't fully understand the doula's role feel skeptical at first and worry
that they will be "replaced" in the delivery room. No one can replace the vital role that
the partner (who may be the baby's father or another loved one) plays in providing
support for the laboring woman. A doula cannot make some of the unique contributions
that the partner makes, such as intimate knowledge of the woman and love for her and
her child. At the same time, a doula's experience and reassurance of what's normal in
birth can be especially comforting for dads, whose knowledge in this area may be
(understandably) rather limited, and for moms who may be confused by the intensity of
the sensations during labor.
that they will be "replaced" in the delivery room. No one can replace the vital role that
the partner (who may be the baby's father or another loved one) plays in providing
support for the laboring woman. A doula cannot make some of the unique contributions
that the partner makes, such as intimate knowledge of the woman and love for her and
her child. At the same time, a doula's experience and reassurance of what's normal in
birth can be especially comforting for dads, whose knowledge in this area may be
(understandably) rather limited, and for moms who may be confused by the intensity of
the sensations during labor.