The impact of doula care for women with Fear of Birth
Research type
Research Study
Full title
“What is the impact of continuity of support by a doula throughout pregnancy and labour on birth outcomes and the experience of pregnancy for women experiencing fear of birth? A Feasibility Study.”
IRAS ID
218196
Contact name
Louise Amanda Jane Perkins
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Southampton
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 7 months, 1 days
Research summary
Around 1 in 10 women suffer from Fear of Birth. For 1 in 100 this fear is incapacitating in pregnancy and negatively affects their birth. High levels of anxiety in pregnancy can have negative health effects for the developing baby through into adulthood.
Doulas are non-medical trained birth supporters. Around 2500 UK women annually opt to hire a doula privately in pregnancy to support them before, during and after the birth. Research shows that Doula-support reduces birth complications for women and babies. Women’s experience of birth are also improved when she is supported by a Doula, alongside her partner.
Research also suggests that women with Fear of Birth can struggle to build trusting relationships with their midwives. For this reason Doulas may provide a way of providing additional support for these vulnerable women. This would be the first research study to examine whether women with significant Fear of Birth could benefit from having on-going support and care from a Doula in her pregnancy or birth.
In 2017, the Royal Berkshire NHS Trust, led by midwife-researcher Louise Perkins, will invite 8 women to participate in this project.
An expert midwife will identify and invite women with significant Fear of Birth to participate. Participating women will continue with their normal maternity care but in addition will also be invited to select their own Doula, from the participating registered Doulas, to provide additional support through their pregnancy and birth. The Doulas participating in the study will have their fees met by the Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust.
Participating women will take part in a pre-study interview and a follow-up interview about the impact of their Doula support, after their baby is born. Participating doulas will be interviewed about their experience of supporting women with Fear of Birth.
REC name
West Midlands - Solihull Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/WM/0142
Date of REC Opinion
26 Apr 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion