The Powerful Benefits of Having a Doula: Why Every Expectant Parent in the UK Should Consider One

Bringing a baby into the world is a life changing event, filled with anticipation, emotion and many, often confusing, choices. One of the most empowering decisions expectant families can make is hiring a doula.

A doula provides non-medical emotional, practical, and informational support during pregnancy, birth and postpartum. Unlike midwives or obstetricians, doulas do not give advice or offer clinical care. A Doula's role is to put their client at the centre of their care, advocating when needed and always being on hand with the latest research to ensure families are making informed, confident decisions about their care. Doulas work for their client and nobody else, so have no agenda other that to provide the support needed by the family.

In this blog, we explore the benefits of hiring a Doula, what a Doula does, and why more families across the UK are hiring Doulas.

What Is a Doula and What Do They Do?

​ Doulas provide:​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

• Birth Preparation: Education around physiological birth, how to keep a positive birth mind set, help preparing for labour and birth, signposting to evidence based information

• Birth support: practical and emotional support during labour, advocating for your wishes, offering reassurance and comfort techniques during labour.

• Postnatal support: assisting with new born care, helping with feeding (breast or bottle), supporting recovery, and easing the transition to parenthood.

Their support is tailored to your needs, whether you're planning a home birth, hospital birth, free birth, vaginal birth or Caesarean.

The Key Benefits of Having a Doula 

Improved Birth Outcomes

Evidence shows that continuous support from a Doula leads to:

• Reduced use of pain medication

• Lower rates of medical intervention

• Shorter labour, with fewer complications

• Reduced risk of caesarean or instrumental birth

• Reduced risk of induction

• Increased chance of establishing breastfeeding

More Personalised Support in an Understaffed NHS

Many NHS trusts face ongoing midwife shortages. In fact, the Royal College of Midwives has repeatedly reported significant shortfalls in midwifery staffing across the UK. 

Doulas provide continuous, one-on-one care, something most NHS staff can’t consistently offer due to shift changes and high patient volumes. Research shows that women receiving this continuity of care report higher levels of satisfaction with their birth experience. 

Better Emotional Wellbeing and Lower Anxiety

Doulas can significantly reduce anxiety, increase confidence and improve mental health outcomes.

A Doula being present at a birth can also help reduce birth trauma, which is a growing concern in the UK, where 1 in 3 women report their birth as being traumatic. 

Enhanced Support for Partners

Doulas don’t replace birth partners- they support and empower them. Many families find that doulas help partners feel prepared, confident and involved, allowing them to support more effectively without feeling overwhelmed.

Support Beyond Birth

Postnatal Doulas can be essential for new parents navigating the “fourth trimester.” Whether you need practical help with household chores, or emotional support with recovery, or support with breastfeeding, a doula provides hands-on support when NHS postnatal care may be limited or unavailable.

Final Thoughts

In a time where NHS maternity services are under pressure and birth trauma awareness is rising, hiring a Doula can be a game-changer. From reducing medical interventions to improving mental wellbeing and providing steady, nurturing support. Doulas help make birth and new parenthood safer, calmer, and more empowered.

Sources & References

Doula UK – Evidence on support of Doulas  Doula UK

Evidence Based Birth - The Evidence for Doulas Evidence on: Doulas

The Effect of Doulas on Maternal and Birth Outcomes: A Scoping Review - PMC