10 Proven Doula Benefits (Fact Sheet)

Doulas have a tremendous impact on birthing people, infants, and the communities they impact. While they are many different kinds of doulas, birth doulas are non-medical individuals who work with birthing people to support them through the birthing process.

Here are ten reasons every birth should be attended by a doula:

1. According to a study published in The Cochrane Library, continuous support from a doula can lead to shorter labor times by an average of 41 minutes.
   
   

2. Another study found that women who received continuous doula support were less likely to request pain medication during childbirth.
   
   
   

3. Doula care has been shown to reduce the likelihood of cesarean birth by as much as 28%.
   
   
   

4. Women who receive doula support have been found to experience greater satisfaction with their childbirth experience.
   
   
   

5. Doulas can help reduce racial disparities in maternal and infant health outcomes. According to Health Law & Policy Brief, Black women are three times more likely to die from pregnancy-related causes than white women, but doula care has been shown to reduce the racial gap in such outcomes.
   
   
   

6. A study published in Birth found that mothers who received doula support had lower rates of postpartum depression at six weeks post-birth.
   
   
   

7. Doula care has been associated with reducing the need for interventions during childbirth, such as forceps or vacuum extraction.
   
   
   

8. Infants born to mothers who received doula support have been found to have lower rates of NICU admission and shorter hospital stays.
   
   
   

9. Doula care has been shown to improve breastfeeding outcomes, with higher rates of initiation and longer durations reported among women who received doula support.
   
   
   

10. According to a study published in The Journal of Perinatal Education, women who received doula care reported feeling more informed about childbirth and better able to make decisions about their care.

Sources: 

1. https://www.cochrane.org/CD003766/PREG_continuous-support-women-during-childbirth

2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3647727/

3. https://healthlaw.org/doula-care-improves-health-outcomes-reduces-racial-disparities-and-cuts-cost/

4. https://www.cochrane.org/CD003766/PREG_continuous-support-women-during-childbirth

5. https://healthlaw.org/doula-care-improves-health-outcomes-reduces-racial-disparities-and-cuts-cost/

6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5538578/

7. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/community-based-doulas-midwives/

8. https://healthlaw.org/doula-care-improves-health-outcomes-reduces-racial-disparities-and-cuts-cost/

9. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/community-based-doulas-midwives/

10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3647727/