The Benefits of Having a Doula
Randomized controlled trials have shown that the type of support a doula provides has many benefits for both a mother and her baby.
- These benefits include:
- decrease in epidural use
- decrease in cesarean births
- decrease in oxytocin use to stimulate labor
- decrease in narcotic use for pain relief
- decrease in forceps use
- decrease in length of labor
Additional benefits have been proven in the areas of maternal post-partum health, mother-infant bonding, and breastfeeding success.
* Klaus, Klaus, and Kennell. Mothering the Mother: How a Doula Can Help You Have a Shorter, Easier, and Healthier Birth. 1992