Doulas as facilitators: The expanded role of doulas into abortion care

摘要

The involvement of a lay support person, known as a doula, in the labour process is a long-standing practice across different cultures and traditions. A great body of literature exists evaluating the effect of a support layperson within the labour process on maternal and neonatal outcomes. This literature demonstrates a positive association between doula support and decreased labour time, oxytocin utilisation, Caesarean section rates and need for epidural/anaesthesia.1 Given the varied benefits afforded to women through doula support at the time of labour, the authors believe that women's health providers should consider the potential role that continuous lay person support could play at other physically and emotionally challenging moments in women's lives.