Good birth support is crucial to a positive experience of birth. It’s important that anyone in the birthing room is well prepared to support the labouring woman and her wishes. Hopefully she has outlined these ahead of time in her birth plan and discussed them and her reasons with those who will be attending her.
Many people find that female relatives do well in supporting them during labour, as long as they get along well in the normal day to day and are comfortable with each other. Husbands and life-partners are nearly always a source of comfort to the labouring woman, and one of the main reasons for being there is to emotionally support her, and to use the experience to bond together as a family.
Hiring a doula is for the woman’s sake. A doula is there to do all of the nitty gritty things that may not occur to others and to see to your comfort as well as to use her special skills to help keep you as comfortable as possible. She will also have experience to help you prepare ahead of time. She is the cherry on top of the cake to help you experience the best birth you can.