Labor Doula Statistics

 Labor Doula: A woman trained and experienced in childbirth who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to a woman during labor, birth and the immediate postpartum period. 

Effects on birth outcomes: Eleven studies showed the following effects of doula support: shorter labors, fewer complications, reduced cesarean rates, less need for oxytocin to speed up labor, reduced use of forceps, fewer requests for pain medication and epidurals.

Effects on the mother: greater satisfaction with childbirth, more positive assessments of their babies, less postpartum depression.

Effects on the baby: shorter hospital stays and fewer admissions to special care nurseries, babies breastfeed more easily, mothers are more affectionate with their babies postpartum.

Effects on the healthcare system: dramatically reduced cost of obstetrical care, women are pleased with the personalized care doulas offer.

50% reduction in the cesarean rate

25% shorter labor

60% reduction in epidural requests

40% reduction in oxytocin use

30% reduction in analgesia use

40% reduction in forceps delivery

Studies show that the father-to-be provides support to 80% of laboring women in the United States. To study whether the father eliminates the benefits of a doula, 555 healthy women were randomly assigned to be attended  by the baby's father and a doula or only by the father. Among women assisted only by a male partner, 22.5%  required cesarean delivery, Dr. Kennell said, compared with only 14.2% of those assisted by the father and the doula.

Moreover, doula-supported mothers bond more quickly to their new baby — 2.9 days versus 9.8 days for  non-doula mothers — and spend less time away from them. They are also more likely to rate their baby as better  than the average baby, Dr. Kennell said.

Doulas also appeared to improve women's perceptions of the birthing process, Dr. Kennell and colleagues say. The birth experience was rated as good by 82.5% of women with doulas and 67.4% of those without doulas during labor. Women who used doulas were also significantly more likely than others "...to feel they coped very well with labor...and to feel that labor had a very positive effect on their feelings as women...and perception of their bodies' strength and performance."