Building Your Birth Support Team: Why It Matters
Birth is not meant to be a solo experience. It is imperative to feel safe, loved, and cared for while in labor. Having the right birth support team can make the difference between feeling overwhelmed and feeling supported. Your birth team often includes your partner, provider, nurses, and doula. These people should make you feel heard, understood, and respected. When you have the right birth team in place, your birth—even if it doesn't go exactly to plan—can still feel empowering and successful.
Your Partner or Primary Support Person
Your partner is your emotional anchor. They help you feel safe, loved, and cared for. This person is your advocate and can help ensure your voice is heard and your wishes are respected. They are there to ground you in uncertain moments—and they don’t need to know it all. Their presence alone is often enough to bring calm when you need it most. Partners can offer comfort measures like hand-holding, massage, slow dancing, or words of affirmation. Their most important role is supporting your emotional well-being and helping you feel safe.
Your Doula
Your doula is your continuous support. You’ll be in communication with them before, during, and after labor. A doula provides evidence-based information to help you make the best decisions for your family. They can offer physical comfort techniques, emotional reassurance, and guidance for your partner. Though non-medical, doulas bridge an important gap—they are trained in the anatomy and physiology of birth and can help you navigate decisions as they arise.
A doula will never make choices for you; instead, they share information so that YOU remain in control. Research has shown that doula support is linked to shorter labors, fewer interventions, and more positive birth experiences overall.
Your Provider and Nurses
Your provider and nurses are the medical experts. They monitor the health and safety of you and your baby, and they guide clinical decisions and interventions if needed. While they play a critical role, they are not typically present throughout the entirety of your labor in the same way a partner or doula might be. Their focus is on your medical well-being.
Choosing the Right Fit
When it comes to hiring a doula, fit is everything. Interview different doulas before making a decision. Just because a doula was a great match for your friend doesn’t mean they’ll be the right vibe for you—and that’s perfectly okay. Labor progresses best when you feel safe and comfortable, and your doula should contribute to that sense of safety. Always do a “vibe check” before hiring.
The same goes for your provider. You want someone who listens to your birth wishes and respects your values. In group practices, it’s possible that your delivering provider may not be the one you’ve seen most often, so it’s important to feel comfortable with the practice as a whole. If something doesn’t feel right, know that you always have the option to switch providers.
Why Your Team Matters
Having the right combination of support is essential for both safety and comfort during childbirth. One of the most important parts of labor is oxytocin—the love hormone. Oxytocin flows best when you feel safe, cared for, and surrounded by people who support you. Each member of your team plays a unique role, and together they create the environment you need to birth your baby with confidence.
At The Doula Support Hub, we are just that—a hub. We work collaboratively with families and other professionals to ensure you get the support that fits your needs.
There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to birth support. What matters most is choosing the people who make you feel loved, cared for, heard, and safe. When you build a team that works together, you set the stage for a calmer, more empowering birth experience.
If you’re expecting and wondering what role a doula could play in your birth team, The Doula Support Hub is here to help. 💜