Doulas work to reduce fear and promote positive labour hormones

A study released today in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, demonstrating a link between longer labours and higher intervention rates, highlights the importance of the role of the doula says Doula UK.

 

The study found that between five and 20% of women have a fear of childbirth and that those women will labour on average for an hour and 32 minutes longer than those who don’t feel afraid as well as experiencing more intervention during birth.

 

Rebecca Schiller of Doula UK said: “It is unsurprising that women who feel frightened find their labour longer, more difficult and may need medical intervention. The physiology of birth tells us that for a woman to release oxytocin, the hormone that causes her to have contractions, she needs to feel safe, relaxed and unobserved. Feeling frightened has a profound negative effect of these complex chemicals that the woman’s body produces to facilitate labour.

 

“Doula UK doulas are well-versed in birth physiology, but most importantly their support allows women and their partners to explore their fears and hopes before labour and provides a constant, nurturing environment during the birth; an environment designed to help a woman feel safe and allow her body to do what it needs to do.

 

“Studies have demonstrated the powerful effect the support of a doula can have on medical intervention rates and a Cochrane Review of continuous support during labour demonstrated that women with experienced and continuous support outside their family or social circle and outside the medical team experienced shorter labours.

 

Working with the medical professionals and other key birth organisations we hope to help women tackle fear in childbirth”