Your partner plays a vital role in your labor and delivery experience. 

•  During prenatal visits, partners are provided with the knowledge, tools, and confidence they need to support you and help care for baby. 
• During labor the presence of a doula can reduces pressure on the partner. Birth can be intense for partners too. A doula allows the partner to be present emotionally without the pressure of "doing it all." Doulas also offer guidance as most partners aren't birth experts. A doula gently coaches them—suggesting comforting techniques, explaining what's happening, and helping them feel more confident in their role.
• During the postpartum visit doulas can help both parents process the birth experience and adjust to the early days with a newborn—offering feeding support, emotional reassurance, and resources.

So, in a nutshell, a doula helps the partner help you better, while also offering a calm, experienced presence throughout the process. A doula does not replace the role of your partner-she enhances their role. The goal is to make them feel more involved instead of pushed to the side.

Why Doulas Are Beneficial?

Doulas provide continuous, personalized support during one of life’s most transformative experiences—pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. While doctors and nurses focus on medical care, doulas focus on you—your comfort, your voice, and your emotional well-being.
💛 The Role of a Doula:

• Offers physical support (comfort measures like massage, position changes, breathing techniques)
• Provides emotional reassurance and encouragement
• Helps you understand your options and make informed decisions
• Supports your partner and helps them feel confident in their role
• Advocates for respectful, person-centered care

💡 Evidence Shows Doulas Help:

• Shorten labor
• Reduce the need for interventions (like epidurals, C-sections, and inductions)
• Improve satisfaction with the birth experience
• Lower the risk of postpartum depression
• Improve breastfeeding success

Doulas are not just for first-time parents or unmedicated births—they’re for anyone who wants more support, more confidence, and more peace of mind during their birth journey.

Disparities And How Doulas Help Reduce These Risk

Black and Latina Women Face Higher Risks

• Black women in the U.S. are 3 to 4 times more likely to die from pregnancy-related complications than white women (CDC).
• Latina women face higher rates of inadequate prenatal care and are more likely to experience poor communication and disrespectful treatment during childbirth (National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice).

Doulas provide continuous, one-on-one, culturally sensitive support that can improve outcomes and empower birthing people—especially those from marginalized communities.

•  Evidence-Based Benefits of Doula Support:

• 39% decrease in the risk of Cesarean birth
• 15% increase in spontaneous vaginal birth
• 10% decrease in the use of medications for pain relief
• Shorter labor by an average of 41 minutes
• 31% decrease in the risk of being dissatisfied with the birth experience(Source: Cochrane Review, 2017)

Why Have a Doula If You’ve Already Had a Baby?