Women have complex needs during childbirth and the weeks that follow. Besides medical care and the love and companionship provided by their partners, women need consistent, continuous reassurance, comfort, encouragement and respect. They need individualized care based on their circumstances and preferences.
Many clinical studies have shown that women with continuous labor support, such as a birth doula, are “more likely than women without such care to avoid cesarean birth and other major medical interventions and to be satisfied with their birth experience” (Maternity Center Association, 2003). In fact, the women that received such support were:
26% less likely to give birth by cesarean
41% less likely to give birth with vacuum extraction or forceps
28% less likely to use any analgesia or anesthesia and
33% less likely to be dissatisfied with or negatively rate their birth experience.*
Also, women with the support of a doula have been found to have shorter labors, be more successful with breastfeeding, feel more secure and in control, and be less likely to experience postpartum depression.