There have been many well documented studies done all over the world and the results are exciting! Did you know that our culture here in the United States is the only culture where it is not standard practice to have a female at the labor and delivery just for the support of the mother?
In all of the studies, the doulas used soothing words, touch and
encouragement. They explained the procedures as they occurred and
translated medical terms into layman's terms. The results of the studies
were as follows:
Reduced the overall cesarean rate by 50%
Reduced the length of labor by 25%
Reduced Oxytocin use by 40%
Reduced the use of pain medication by 30%
Reduced forceps deliveries by 40%
Reduced requests for epidural pain medication by 60%
Reduced incidences of maternal fever
Reduced the number of days newborns spent in NICU (neo-natal infant
care unit)
Reduced the amount of septic workups performed on newborns
Resulted in higher rates of breastfeeding
Resulted in more positive maternal assessments of maternal confidence
Resulted in more positive maternal assessments of maternal and
newborn health
Resulted in decreased rates of postpartum depression
If you want to know more information here is a list of addition pages with much, much more detailed information about these studies.
Continuous Support For Women During Childbirth
Listening to Mothers: Report of the First National U.S. Survey of Women's Childbearing Experiences
Social Support By Doulas During Labor And The Early Postpartum Period
Care of Women in U.S. Hospitals, 2000
