Doulas and dads

A doula doesn’t perform clinical tasks such as blood pressure, foetal heart checks or vaginal examinations. Nor is she there to make decisions on your behalf. Some doulas may have expertise in areas such as aromatherapy, acupressure, or herbal medicine, but you should make sure your doula has a recognised qualification in these areas before allowing her to treat you.

Research has shown that a female birth companion can offer other benefits.

A study in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology showed that, women who had a female companion during labour experienced less anxiety and were less prone to depression after birth. The authors concluded that female companionship in labour ‘had a striking effect on the woman’s feelings of self confidence.’ Another American study (published in the journal Birth in 1999), compared women who had a female relative present at birth with those who had no support.

It found that women who had this support were more likely to give birth vaginally (91% versus 71%). The women also needed fewer drugs to augment labour (13% versus 30%), less pain relieving drugs (53% versus 73%). Fewer had their waters broken (30% versus 54%), fewer had vacuum extractions (4% versus 16%), and the caesarean rate in the supported group was less than half that of the other women (6% versus 13%).

What you need to check before you hire a doula:

• A doula is usually a paid companion (some charge by the hour, others have a flat fee, usually around £150).
• You need to find out what your doula’s own experience of birth has been, what emotional baggage, if any, she is bringing with her, and how it might affect your labour.
• A number of doulas believe passionately in natural birth, which is fine, but if you intend to give birth in hospital, you will probably fare better with someone who understands the need for, and has experience of, acting as a strong advocate for the mother’s wishes in a hospital setting.
• Doula training can vary. To be confident you should look for a companion whose training lasted more than a weekend or two.