Studies have shown the use of a Doula during labour and delivery can have the following beneficial effects:
50% reduction in the caesarean rate;
25% shorter labour;
50% reduction in epidural requests;
40% reduction in oxytocin use;
30% reduction in analgesia use;
40% reduction in forceps delivery.

Long Term Benefits:
- decreased post-partum depression;
- improved breast feeding rates;
- increased time spent with baby immediately postpartum;
- increase maternal satisfaction with the birth experience

Summarised from ‘Mothering the mother – how a Doula can help you have a shorter, easier and healthier birth' by M H Klaus, J H Kennell, andP H Klaus; Addison Wesley Publishing Co., New York (1993))