Baby's Birth Benefits

 Advantages of Labor Support

It is widely recognized that having a doula assisting the birthing woman or couple results in a

…
• 50% decrease in cesarean sections
• 25% decrease in the length of labor
• 30% decrease in use of forceps
• 40% decrease in use of oxytocin
• 60% decrease in use of epidurals
• 30% decrease in use of pain medications

Compiled from Mothering the Mother, by MH Klause, JH Kennell, and PH Klause, Addison Wesley Publishing Company, 1993

Where do Dads fit in?

It is not the intention of the doula to interfere with the relationship between the partners during the intimate process of birth. Rather, the doula uses her experience to support and reassure the couple throughout labor, freeing the partners to participate at their own comfort level. Whether it is to refresh what was learned in childbirth classes or to offer a new perspective, the doula nourishes and enhances the bond that created this miracle in the first place. By meeting the needs of the mother even when there is no partner, the doula will nurture the strong feelings of accomplishment created when a woman give birth. These feelings wil no doubt empower her on her continuing journey as a woman and mother.

“I could not have been as present and steady for my wife during the birth of our son were it not for the love and support we both received from our doula.”
Matthew Arkin, Actor & father