Doulas Provide:

Line drawing of a pregnant woman sitting on a large cushion with her hand on her belly, and a woman kneeling in front of her holding her hand.

Continuous physical and emotional support during labor, including different movements and positions based on baby’s orientation.

Line drawing of a pregnant woman in a hospital setting, surrounded by three medical professionals, one of whom is a doctor with a stethoscope, all examining her belly.

Advocacy for the birth mom and explanations of various medical terms

Drawing of a woman with short curly hair nursing a baby with curly hair, looking down at the baby.

Breastfeeding education and support

Line drawing of a pregnant woman and a man sitting together with a woman holding an image of a fetus, showing a family discussing pregnancy.

Education about labor and childbirth

Line drawing of a doula providing support to a pregnant woman and and her partner

Support and guidance for partners and family members

Evidence shows that in 27 randomized controlled trials of 15, 858 women,

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  • Spontaneous vaginal births

  • Shorter labor

Those with continuous support were more likely to have:

  • Cesarean birth

  • Assisted vaginal births (forceps or vacuum)

  • Negative birth experiences

  • Low 5 minute Apgar scores

  • Epidural or labor pain medication

And, they were less likely to have:

Laboring women experienced the most benefits with a doula compared to support from family members or hospital staff

  • Significantly greater odds of going into labor at term, instead of pre-term

  • Superior outcomes, including being less likely to have babies of low birth weight or requiring a NICU admission

  • Significantly lower odds of cesarean delivery compared to women not using a doula

  • Significantly lower odds of postpartum depression or postpartum anxiety

A study among women with Medicaid who had doula services had:

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1) Continuous Support for Women During Childbirth: 2017 Cochrane Review Update Key Takeaways, National Library of Medicine: Pub Med Central https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6491161/#ref-list1

2) Addressing Maternal Health Disparities: Doula Access in Medicaid September 2022, Elevance Health Public Health Policy Institute https://www.elevancehealth.com/content/dam/elevance-health/articles/ppi_assets/54/EH_Doula_R4.pdf