Tri Valley Doula

Offering care & support to pregnant women before, during & after labor .

Research shows doulas make a difference!

Research shows that the use of a doula has clear benefits for families during childbirth and postpartum, with no known risks. 

Here are some advantages that numerous clinical studies have found when using a doula:

  • tends to result in shorter labors with fewer complications
  • reduces negative feelings about one's childbirth experience
  • reduces the need for pitocin, forceps or vacuum extraction and cesareans
  • reduces the mother's request for pain medication and/or epidurals

Research shows parents who receive support can:

  • feel more secure and cared for
  • are more successful in adapting to new family dynamics
  • have a greater success with breastfeeding
  • have greater self-confidence
  • have less postpartum depression

Source: The Doula Book by Marshall Klaus, Phyllis Klaus, John H. Kennell

Women cared for during labor by a birth doula, compared to those receiving usual care were

  • 26% less likely to give birth by cesarean section
  • 41% less likely to give birth with a vacuum extractor or forceps
  • 28% less likely to use any analgesia or anesthesia
  • 33% less likely to be dissatisfied or negatively rate their birth experience


Results of 7 North American Trials of Labor Support including 2259 women
(comparing continuous labor support by doulas with usual care)

Author
Year
(# subjects)

Cesarean
Rate

Oxytocin
Use

Epidural
Rate

Narcotics
Use

Instrumental
Delivery

Maternal
Emotional
Distress

5 min.
Apgar <7
NICU

Cogan (13)
1988 (25)

N.A.

No diff

N.A.

decrease

N.A.

N.A.

decrease

Hodnett (14)
1989 (103)

No diff

increase

N.A.

decrease

No diff

N.A.

N.A.

Kennell (7)
1991(616)

decrease

decrease

decrease

No diff

decrease

N.A.

decrease

Kennell (8)
1993 (570)

decrease

N.A.

No diff

N.A.

N.A.

N.A.

N.A.

Gordon (15)
1999 (314)

No diff

No diff

decrease

No diff

No diff

decrease

N.A.

McGrath (9)
1999 (531)

decrease

decrease

decrease

decrease

No diff

N.A.

N.A.

Trueba (16)
2000 (100)

decrease

decrease

decrease

N.A.

N.A.

N.A.

N.A.

KEY: No diff- no statistically significant difference between groups;N.A. – not assessed; increase – statistically significant increase in the supported group; decrease – statistically significant decrease in the supported group.

The results of 3 North American Trials 3, 17, 18 including 8052 women (comparing continuous labor support by NURSES – not doulas – with usual care) showed no differences in any outcomes listed in Table 1.

Findings of Hodnett’s et al meta-analysis of 15 trials from N. America, Europe, and Africa(10)

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