Do you really *need* a doula?

Hi! Welcome to the blog, and my very first post. Eep! Ideas for this blog have been floating around in my head for quite a while, but I think the best place to start is here, with the question everyone wants to know. In the ideal pregnancy, you have a trusted healthcare provider, a pretty good general knowledge of what's going to go down in that delivery room, and maybe even a supportive partner by your side, so do you really need a doula? If you don't feel like reading on, I will give you the short answer now:

Yes. You do really need a doula.

Okay, maybe "need" is a strong word. Will you give birth without a doula there? Absolutely. But, can having doula support help in tangible ways? Definitely.

If the short answer is not enough for you, read on while I explain exactly why...

Lucky for all of us, there's a whole lot of research that has gone into the benefits of having continuous support present during labour and delivery. Evidence Based Birth (my go-to site for breaking down all the birthy research) has a great article on the benefits of doulas here. TL/DR: The research shows that continuous support during labour and delivery significantly improved outcomes for both birther and baby; these outcomes include fewer complications and NICU visits for babies, and lower likelihood of using pain medication for birthers. In addition, birthers were less likely to have a C-section, or negative feelings about birth in general. The best results in these studies occurred when the support person was a trained doula, rather than a family member or a staff member at the hospital.

One of the reasons for these positive outcomes is that your relationship with a doula begins long before you ever go into labour: a large part of what I do as a doula is provide information and education to pregnant people throughout pregnancy. Doulas are trained in providing evidence-based research and information regarding all things pregnancy and birth, and access to this information and knowledge makes for more calm and confident birthers in the delivery room.

So, tell me, now that you know some of the research, would you have a doula with your next baby? If you have already given birth with the support of a doula, what did you like about it? I can't wait to hear your stories!