Why Hire a Doula?

In Canada, the idea of paying money for any kind of health care related cost typically meets with various forms of scoffing and questions. But what if our health care system didn't cover something that research has proven to improve outcomes drastically?

Continuous care of a doula, even more so than continuous care of hospital staff or of a family member, provides the best outcomes both for mother and baby (Hodnett et al.) The numbers are actually staggering:

• 28% decrease in the risk of caesarean birth
• 31% decrease in the use of Pitocin
• 12% increase in the likelihood of spontaneous vaginal birth
• 9% decrease in the use of any medications for pain relief

These are the kinds of results that are too incredible to ignore! Since some of the benefits of the doula lie in the fact that she remains with her client from beginning to end of labour without shift changes and is notably not on staff at the hospital, it may be a long time before Health Canada could consider implementing the coverage of doula care.

What if we want a birth experience that is more...?

The same Cochrane review referenced above indicated a 34% decrease in dissatisfaction with the birth experience. What does that mean? Well, partly it reflects the findings listed above because usually women prefer to avoid c-sections and Pitocin and medications. But it also reflects something a little more basic. During pregnancy women hear all manner of birth "horror stories" and tales of how long and difficult labour can be and it makes us nervous; we second-guess our bodies and begin to believe we cannot do it. Having a doula can counteract some of the negative you're hearing and ensure you are prepared for birth. This kind of preparedness can give you options during labour as well as change your perception of how the events unfold both during and after your baby is born.