Benefits of a Doula
If you’re reading this blog, this may be the first time you’ve heard of the word ‘doula’. What does this ‘doula’ do? Is what they do actually helpful? Does a doula replace my partner? I hope to answer those questions here…
There is evidence promoting the presence of continuous support throughout labor and birth to a laboring person. An important thing to remember about continuous support is that the person in the role is solely focused on providing support. Doulas are trained, non-medical professionals who provide continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to a woman before, during and after childbirth to help her have the best birth experience possible.
Laboring and birthing in a hospital is the most popular route or choice for laboring women in the United States. Most hospital practices include evolving shift work nurses, multiple patients and on-call doctors, meaning your care team in the hospital will change during the course of labor and birth. It’s practical for hospitals to run this way, to prevent nurse and doctor burn-out. The side effect of this is that the laboring person does not have a continuous care team focused on their support, and might not have someone on their care team they ‘jive’ with (someone they’ve chosen and trust). Labor and birth are very primal, intimate and sacred times, for both partner and laboring person. Choosing support to create a support environment is crucial to a satisfying birth. By satisfying birth, I mean a birth that one can reflect on and be happy with the results. A satisfying birth does not mean solely having a healthy baby. Labor and birth have a deep impact on the psyche, family bonds, professional relationships, personal confidence as a new parent, and it is the beginning of a profound transformation of identity.
Continuous presence means constant praise and encouragement, an emotional hug if you will. During continuous presence, that support person is familiar with the laboring person's preferred positions, preferred coping methods, desired birth outcomes and they can even learn minute body language signals. These signals can communicate for the birthing person when they are unable to describe what it is they need. Your support person knows the pattern of contractions, patterns of rest, pattern of bathroom uses, pattern of drinking and patterns of breath - they keep a log of activity that can be used in providing the best care. A support team creates an envelope of trust around the birthing person - this encourages the physiological process of birth and gives them confidence in their ability and strength to give birth.
The Data
Research shows that women who have chosen continuous support are more likely to give birth without the use of forceps, cesarean or vacuum. Only in the circumstance of doula support were the laboring person less likely to have a cesarean birth. They are less likely to use pain medications and more likely to have shorter and satisfying births. Only in the instances with doula support or support from someone within their social network were births reported as more satisfying. With continuous support, baby’s have higher 5-minute APGAR scores. Doula specific support to the laboring person includes the following benefits:
60% less likely to ask for an epidural during birth
40% less likely to use synthetic oxytocin
39% less likely to have a cesarean
Cesarean rate in the US is about 33%(1 in 3), with using a doula this goes down to 20% (1 in 5)
38% decrease in baby’s risk of low 5 minute APGAR score
35% less likely to have negative birth experience
15% more likely to have a spontaneous vaginal birth
Postpartum depression rates may be lower in women who receive continuous care, but more research is necessary to confirm. More research is also necessary to determine how significant doula care is in reduced use of pain medication and newborn admission to special care. There are no reported adverse effects of continuous support.
Partners
A doula does not assume the role of support from the partner. A doula is there to provide support to both the laboring person and partner. Oftentimes, a doula can help the partner provide effective support, using the experience and knowledge from the doula.
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