The Doula Effect

A doula is a non medical person, usually a woman, who offers support to another woman during pregnancy, labour and the early weeks of motherhood. A doula will endeavour to create a calm, supportive environment conducive to a positive experience for you and your birthing partner (if you have one).

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To find out more about what a doula is, read this post.

Research has shown that women cared for during labor by a birth doula, compared to those receiving usual care were:

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• 26% less likely to give birth by cesarean section

• 41% less likely to give birth with a vacuum extractor or forceps

• 28% less likely to use any analgesia or anesthesia

• 33% less likely to be dissatisfied or negatively rate their birth experience

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Other benefits can include:

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• Reduced need for painkillers or epidural during birth 

• Reduced rate of induction of labour

• Shorter labour

• Increased parental satisfaction with the birth experience

• Increased likelihood of initiating breastfeeding 

• Increased likelihood of successfully establishing breastfeeding & breastfeeding at 6 weeks 

• Lower incidence of depressive symptomatology

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To find out more about the research, please visit