A doula does not replace a woman’s partner, indeed she supports that person also. Labour can be long, stressful, confusing and intense. In a prenatal class, the partner may have been taught what happens during labour and delivery, but not necessarily how best to support their labouring partner. A doula can teach the partner how to assist the labouring mother with physical comfort techniques. Although it may be hard for the partner to see their loved one in pain, a doula can help the partner be a strong emotional support. During a lengthy or intense labour, partners often forget to care for themselves. A doula can provide a much needed break and an opportunity to eat.
One father said: “There is no limit to the amount of love and support a woman needs and deserves during childbirth.”

A brief history of how fathers came to be in the delivery room:
Before 1930, most women gave birth at home with the continuous help of other women. The skilled woman was able to provide the mother with reassurance throughout the entire labour that everything was progressing as it should. Unexpected complications and medical pain relief are the reasons births moved to the hospital.
By the 1960s, women were expected to labour alone without a support person. Many were unconscious for their own deliveries as medical procedures gained more prominence. With a move towards family cohesion in the late 1970s, fathers were invited to join in the experience in the delivery room. Lost was the woman to woman support and reassurance, replaced instead with the fear and misunderstanding husbands now faced seeing their loved ones in pain.