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Jan
" It is a great service. I felt so supported by “Heart & Hands” as soon as I contacted Jan. Our doula was amazing and I was blessed to be paired with her.  "   - Allison
"Everyone should have a doula for so many reasons. But the most important one is for the mother to have the personal support that everyone deserves."             - Jackie
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"Everything was done in a very professional manner and we were very pleased with the services we received" -  Katherine

Although the idea is centuries old, the benefits of a Doula's one-on-one care have only recently been documented in several separate studies. Studies of Doula-assisted births worldwide showed
decreases in:

Cesarean birth by 51%

Pitocin use by 71%

Narcotics use by 35%

Forceps use by 57%

Length of labor by 98 minutes



Even among the best-educated and best-supported women in North America, the latest studies show that having a Doula decreases:

Cesarean birth by 21%

Forceps/vacuum extraction use by 32%

Epidural use by 16%


Effects on birth outcomes:
Eleven studies showed the following effects of doula support:

Effects on Labor:

-Labors are shorter
-There are fewer complications
-The number of cesarean births is reduced
-There is less need for pitocin to speed up labor
-Use of forceps is reduced
-Women request less pain medication and epidurals

Effects on the Mother:

-Greater satisfaction with childbirth
-More positive assessments of their babies
-Less postpartum depression

Effects on the baby:

-Babies have shorter hospital stays and fewer admissions to special care nurseries
-Babies breastfeed more successfully
-Mothers are more affectionate toward their babies postpartum

Effects on the health care system:

- The cost of obstetrical care is dramatically reduced
- Women are pleased with the personalized care doulas offer


The benefit of continuous support in labor is recognized by:

The World Health Organization
The Medical Leadership Council (an organization of over 1200 U.S. hospitals)
The Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada