How Doula Support Can Help Reduce Your Risk of a Cesarean Birth by 39%

How Doula Support Can Help Reduce Your Risk of a Cesarean Birth by 39%

If you're planning for labor and delivery and wondering how to avoid unnecessary medical interventions, especially a cesarean birth, you’re not alone. Many birthing people want to explore every option for a safer, more empowered birth. One of the most evidence-based ways to reduce the likelihood of a C-section? Hiring a birth doula.

In fact, studies show that continuous support from a doula during labor can reduce the risk of a cesarean section by up to 39%. That’s a powerful statistic—especially considering how common C-sections have become in modern maternity care.

What Is a Doula?

A birth doula is a trained professional who provides emotional, physical, and informational support to a birthing person before, during, and shortly after childbirth. Unlike a nurse or doctor, a doula is a non-clinical member of your birth team whose sole focus is your comfort, your goals, and your voice being heard.

Doulas do not perform medical procedures but are skilled in comfort measures, labor positioning, breathing techniques, and communication strategies that help you stay centered and in control throughout your birthing journey.

The Link Between Doula Support and Cesarean Reduction

Research consistently shows that people who receive continuous, non-medical support throughout labor are less likely to have a C-section. Doulas help reduce the need for interventions by:

• Encouraging optimal fetal positioning

• Supporting movement and positioning during labor

• Advocating for your birth preferences

• Providing calming support that reduces stress and tension

• Promoting informed decision-making

• Helping navigate communication with the medical team

This type of support helps keep labor progressing naturally and reduces the likelihood of interventions like Pitocin, epidurals, and ultimately, surgical birth.

Why Avoiding an Unnecessary C-Section Matters

While cesareans can be lifesaving in true emergencies, many are performed unnecessarily and carry increased risks, such as:

• Longer recovery times

• Higher risk of infection or blood loss

• Increased risk of complications in future pregnancies

• More difficulty with breastfeeding and bonding in the early postpartum period

Reducing the chance of an unplanned or unnecessary cesarean helps support both physical recovery and emotional well-being.

Doula Services with Services By Kim

At Services By Kim, we provide trauma-informed, heart-centered birth support to families throughout Mount Juliet, Nashville, and surrounding areas. Our doula care is designed to center your experience, help you feel prepared, and keep your voice at the forefront during your birth.

When you work with us, you gain:

• A dedicated birth plan session

• Continuous labor support (virtual or in-person)

• Comfort measures like massage, counter-pressure, and guided breathing

• Advocacy for your rights and preferences

• A calm, experienced presence you can rely on from early labor through delivery

Whether you're planning a hospital birth, home birth, or birth center experience, we are here to walk beside you every step of the way.

Preparing for Birth with Confidence

Reducing your risk of a cesarean birth doesn’t require a perfect plan—it requires the right support. With a birth doula by your side, you increase your chances of having a safe, supported, and empowered birth.

Are you ready to take the next step?

Learn more about our birth doula packages, virtual support, and birth planning resources at Services By Kim.

📍 Serving clients in Mount Juliet, Nashville, and surrounding Middle Tennessee communities.

www.servicesbykim.com/doula