Why Choose a Doula? The Power of Informed Support
- petrinolyndsey
- Jun 27
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 27
Written by
When you're planning for birth, you're often encouraged to choose a provider, a place, and a birth plan—but what about choosing a doula?
Many families don’t even realize that hiring a doula is an option. Others aren’t sure what a doula does or how that support can impact their experience. But research tells us something loud and clear: doulas improve birth outcomes. And at the heart of that impact lies one essential principle—informed consent.
What Is a Doula?
A doula is a trained professional who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to a birthing person before, during, and shortly after childbirth.
Unlike a doctor or midwife, a doula is non-clinical. We don’t perform medical tasks or make decisions. Instead, we stay by your side, helping you understand what’s happening, supporting your choices, and ensuring you feel seen and heard every step of the way.
Informed Consent: What It Means and Why It Matters
Informed consent is your legal and ethical right to understand your options in childbirth—and to make decisions about your body and baby without pressure or coercion.
Too often in modern obstetrics, birthing people report feeling rushed, dismissed, or overwhelmed during labor. In fact, in a national U.S. study, nearly 1 in 6 women reported feeling pressured into a medical intervention during labor (Listening to Mothers in California, 2018).
A doula’s role is to help protect your ability to pause, process, and choose. That might mean explaining a suggested procedure in plain language, reminding your provider that you'd like more time to think, or simply holding your hand and grounding you during intense moments.
"Women who receive continuous labor support are more likely to have spontaneous vaginal births and less likely to use pain medications, have cesareans, or report negative birth experiences."— Cochrane Review, 2017
The Evidence: Doulas Improve Outcomes
The data on doulas is compelling:
39% decrease in the risk of cesarean
15% increase in the likelihood of a spontaneous vaginal birth
10% decrease in the use of pain medications
38% decrease in the baby’s risk of low Apgar scores
31% decrease in the risk of being dissatisfied with the birth experience(Hodnett ED et al., Continuous Support for Women During Childbirth, Cochrane, 2017)
Notably, these benefits are most significant when the doula is not a member of the hospital staff—meaning an independent support person who is solely focused on you.
Birth Is Not One-Size-Fits-All
Whether you want an unmedicated birth, an epidural, or a planned cesarean, a doula supports your choices. We don’t have an agenda. We help you feel confident about your plan—and calm and supported if it needs to change.
Informed consent doesn’t end with a signed paper; it’s an ongoing process. A doula helps you navigate that process with clarity and confidence.
Ready to Choose a Doula?
When choosing a doula, consider:
Their training and certifications
Their philosophy on birth
How they communicate
How they make you feel
Birth is an intimate, life-changing event. Your support team matters. And the evidence is clear—having a doula is a decision grounded in empowerment, choice, and better outcomes.
Let’s make sure you’re surrounded by people who honor that.
Your birth. Your body. Your decisions.
Ready to Learn More?
We’d be honored to walk this path with you.
Serving Vancouver + Clark County, WA
Accepting Apple Health (Medicaid)
Sliding scale available for private pay clients
Because you deserve to be seen, heard, and held in birth.
You don’t have to do this alone—and now, you don’t have to pay to get the care you deserve.
References
Hodnett, E.D., Gates, S., Hofmeyr, G.J., & Sakala, C. (2017). Continuous support for women during childbirth. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
Declercq, E. R., Sakala, C., Corry, M. P., Applebaum, S., & Herrlich, A. (2018). Listening to Mothers in California: A Population-Based Survey of Women’s Childbearing Experiences. National Partnership for Women & Families.
Llamamma Mothercare
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