BENEFITS OF HAVING A DOULA
Midwives and doctors will be present throughout labor to ensure the safe passage of both you and your baby. However, because they often have more than one birthing person at a time and have other responsibilities, they might not be able to be there the entire time to offer the kind of familiar, supportive, one to one presence you deserve. This is the role of a doula. Her presence can be invaluable.
Most births in Switzerland are attended by midwives. In many cases the birthing person has had very little, if any, opportunity to get to know the midwife. Often, they will meet for the first time during labor, whereas the doula has ideally had the opportunity to establish a good relationship with the couple during the pregnancy. Because the doula does nothing medical and gives emotional, physical and practical support only, she is able to provide continuous care throughout all shift changes and will work to foster a harmonious relationship between her client and the medical care providers.
The continuous presence of a doula before, during and after birth can immeasurably increase a birthing person’s satisfaction with their birth experience, permanently impacting their feelings as a parent. By consciously learning about the birth process and intentionally creating a supportive and loving birth environment, a single parent or a couple can empower themselves in ways that will be sustaining for a lifetime.
Data in the renowned book Mothering the Mother, by Klaus, Kennell, and Klaus, provide food for thought for a single parent or a couple and/or care providers who may be uncertain about the advantages of having a labor support doula. They boast that doula assisted births result in:
25% decrease in the length of labor
50% fewer Caesarean sections
40% decrease in use of forceps
40% decrease in use of pitocin/syntocinon (synthetic oxytocin)
60% decrease in use of epidurals
30% decrease in use of pain medication
Additionally, they summarize that long-term benefits of labor support during birth include:
Improved breastfeeding
Decreased postpartum depression
Greater maternal satisfaction
Better mother-infant interaction
Secure, well-bonded children
The Cochrane review on labor support (2017) found that birthing people who received continuous support throughout their births reported very positive outcomes. They pooled the results of 26 separate trials, from 17 countries, involving 15,858 birthing people in a wide range of settings and circumstances and concluded that if a laboring person was continuously supported during childbirth, they were:
More likely to have a physiological birth
More likely to experience a slightly shorter duration of labor
Less likely to have a caesarean section or endure an instrumental birth
Less likely to use an epidural or other pain medications
More likely to report greater satisfaction with their birth experiences
The authors of the study plainly state that, “all women should have support throughout labor and birth.”