Evidence-Based Birth published results of a study (Bohren, et.al (2017)) stated that people with a support person providing continuous support were less likely to:
- request pain medication
- request an epidural
- report negative feelings about childbirth or their baby
and MORE likely to:
- have a spontaneous vaginal delivery
- have labor decreased by an average of 40 minutes
- babies were more likely to have higher APGAR scores at birth.
When these results were analyzed, the decrease in use of epidurals and Cesarean section births was attributed to five factors: increased oxytocin, increased mobility, increased self-esteem, decreased pain and decreased anxiety.
How neat, right?
I’m excited to talk more with you about why having a doula at your birth will benefit you and your baby, and how postpartum support ensures you and your family get off to a beautiful start together. Get in touch today!
For more information check out http://www.evidencebasedbirth.com/the-evidence-for-doulas
References:
- Bohren, M.A., Hofmeyr, G., Sakala, C., et al. (2017). “Continuous support for women during childbirth.” Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2017, Issue 7. Art. No.: CD003766.
- Dekker, R. (2017). “Evidence-Based Birth: the evidence for doulas.”http://www.evidencebasedbirth.com/the-evidence-for-doulas.
Zippity Doula 