Doulas as childbirth paraprofessionals: results from a national survey.

Fourteen randomized trials have demonstrated that continuous caregiver support during childbirth can lead to shorter labors and decrease the need for intervention. In response, there has been a significant increase in the number and use of doulas as paraprofessionals who provide social and emotional support to women during labor/birth for a fee. We conducted a mailed survey of a nationally representative sample of certified and certification-in-process doulas in the United States (n = 626, 64.