Quote from EVIDENCE BASED BIRTH: “In one landmark study that evaluated the effects of doulas and fathers working together, researchers found that combining a supportive partner and a doula significantly lowered the risk of Cesarean compared to just having a supportive partner alone. In 2008, McGrath and Kennell randomly assigned 420 first-time birthing women to have routine care (including a supportive partner) or care that also included a professional doula whom they met for the first-time during labor. All the women in the study were classified as having middle- to upper-class financial income levels, having supportive partners, and being in the care of obstetricians.
During labor, doulas provided continuous support, including encouragement, reassurance, and physical support. They helped the partner support the laboring person and were careful to respect the partner’s role.
The results showed a substantial improvement in outcomes for women who had both a birth partner and a doula, compared to having a birth partner alone. The Cesarean rate for these first-time mothers was 25% in the group with a partner only, and 13.4% in the group with a partner and doula. The women who had their labor medically induced experienced an even more striking decrease in the Cesarean rate with a doula—the Cesarean rate with labor inductions was 58.8% in the group without a doula, and 12.5% in the group with a doula. Also, fewer women in the doula group required an epidural (64.7%) compared to those without a doula (76%).” 1
- https://evidencebasedbirth.com/the-evidence-for-doulas/ ↩︎