In today’s NHS landscape can women really have fewer caesareans? Can they actually aim to have better births?
With the regular media coverage on increased caesarean sections, midwifery shortages, and birth traumas... is it possible for women to increase their chance of a better birth?
Doula UK, the non-profit organisation of Doulas in the UK, conducted a survey of its members.
Birth doulas are experienced in supporting women through birth in hospital and home settings.
In 2004, 74 of our birth doulas in the UK who responded to our survey attended 282 births. From this we have obtained the following statistics:
79% of women had hospital births
21% of women opted for and achieved a home birth (compared to a 2% national average)
For those who had their babies in hospital
10% of these births ended in caesarean sections (compared to the 22% national average)
15% had an epidural (compared to the 33% national average)
7% had instrumental deliveries (compared to the 11% national average)
8% opted for and achieved VBACs (vaginal birth after caesarean)
43% were primiparas (first baby)
22% were labours or births in birthing pools (whilst national data is not available this statistic is believed to be much higher than the national average)
National average taken from NHS maternity statistics, England: 2002-03 by the Department of Health.
In the past decades numerous medical studies have highlighted the benefits to women of one to one care in labour, particularly the improved rates in caesareans, epidurals and instrumental deliveries. It is therefore no surprise to see that in the UK, birth doulas are making similar discoveries when supporting a woman through labour.
The Doula UK survey is not a randomised survey but it reflects the work that our doulas do throughout the country.
