The Profound Benefits of Hiring a Doula and Why Every Expecting Family DeservesOne, Lauren Stanphill Birthcare

If you’re expecting, you may have considered hiring a doula to support you through your birthing journey. Allow me to introduce Lauren Stanphill, a dedicated birth doula in Northern Virginia. Lauren is committed to providing continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to her clients before, during, and shortly after childbirth. Her approach ensures that families feel empowered and confident throughout the birthing process.

In this blog post, Lauren shares her personal experiences and insights into the profound impact hiring a doula can have on labor, delivery, and postpartum well-being. Whether you’re a first-time parent or seeking a more supported birth experience, every expecting family deserves the compassionate care of a doula.

My Birth Experience

On a cold, winter day I became a mother after laboring completely and utterly alone in a foreign country.

After my waters broke early in the morning, I checked myself into the hospital despite experiencing no contractions and only being 1 cm dilated (something I wouldn’t recommend knowing what I know now!). Due to German hospital policies surrounding COVID, my husband was not allowed to join me in the hospital until I was 6 cm dilated. While I spoke some German, my vocabulary did not encompass words pertaining to labor and childbirth, and no English-speaking midwives were on the floor that morning. Through some broken communication, the midwife told me she would return in two hours to check on me.

Shortly after she left, labor began with a vengeance, and I spent the next two hours confused and scared at the intensity and pace of my labor as I moved and breathed my way through contractions. As promised, the midwife returned after two hours and with a surprised look on her face told me to call my husband to join us as I was already 8 cm dilated. My husband rushed to the hospital and joined me as I as pushing.

Relief set in when our healthy baby boy was born after just 4 hours of labor, but the ripples of such a jarring labor experience colored my postpartum experience for months and left me feeling anxious, scared, and confused – the same feelings that consumed me during labor.

Two years later, in stark contrast to my first birth experience, I learned what it meant to experience continuous labor and delivery support during the birth of my daughter, and gained a deeper understanding of what a profound difference this kind of support can make – not just in birth, but also postpartum.

Every Expecting Family Deserves Support

Sociologist Barbara Kaz Rothman once said, “Birth is not only about making babies; birth is about making mothers – strong, competent, capable mothers who trust themselves and know their inner strength.” Pregnancy, labor, and childbirth is undoubtedly one of the most life- changing experiences a person can go through. While each birth is deeply personal and unique, one thing is universal: the need for support. That is where hiring a doula comes in, and that is what drives me in my work as a birth doula in Northern Virginia.

So, what is a doula?

Doulas provide continuous physical, emotional, informational, and advocacy support during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. Although not medical professionals, a doula’s role in enhancing the birth experience is backed by data and cannot be overstated.

The Proven Benefits of Hiring a Doula

The presence of a doula during birth is linked to:

• Shorter labor times by an average of 40 minutes
• Lower rates of c-sections by 23%
• A reduction in the use of pain medications (including epidurals)
• Fewer complications for both mother and baby

So what exactly does a doula do to support you?

While working with a doula, families can expect compassionate and informed support every step of the way. One of the most empowering aspects of hiring a doula is helping families prepare for birth. Knowledge is power, and doulas can help expecting parents navigate the sometimes-overwhelming world of birth plans and preferences by providing evidence-based information on all the options available, and helping to devise a plan that meets their needs and desires.  Before going into labor, families can expect basic childbirth education, information on labor and pushing positions, pain management, breathing techniques, massage techniques, and more.

During labor, your doula provides reassurance, encouragement, and comfort to help you feel more confident and calm throughout labor. Physically, doulas also assist with pain management techniques such as breathing exercises, massage, and different labor positions to help ease the pains of labor and help make your contractions as productive as they can be.

Advocating for Your Birth Preferences

More than that, doulas are also advocates. During labor, it can sometimes be difficult to understand and comprehend all your options, and a doula can help you ask the right questions and understand all the benefits, risks, and alternatives of the options available to you so you can make the right decision for you and your baby. While no birth goes exactly as planned, a doula can help ensure you understand your options and that your wishes are heard and respected in moments of uncertainty.

In a world where birth can sometimes feel medicalized or impersonal, hiring a doula can be a powerful reminder that birth is not just a physical process—it’s an emotional and mental journey. The support of a doula enhances the entire experience, giving you a foundation of reassurance and comfort in what can otherwise be an uncertain time.

Hiring a Doula is an Investment in Your Birth Experience

The benefits are clear: better birth outcomes, lower stress, more informed choices, and a stronger emotional connection to the experience. But perhaps the greatest benefit of all is the sense of empowerment that comes with knowing you have a dedicated ally by your side—someone who will help remind you that you are strong and capable, and who will ensure that your birth is not just a medical event, but a deeply human experience.

So, if you’re expecting, consider the impact hiring a doula could have on your journey. The emotional, physical, and even medical benefits speak for themselves, but ultimately, it’s about feeling supported, listened to, and cared for during one of the most transformative experiences of your life.