Women assisted by doulas: exploratory study

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the perception of women assisted by doulas in relation to their role. Method: Exploratory study with a quantitative approach. The data were collected by the snowball technique, through a digital questionnaire. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed. Results: The sample comprised 322 participants, with an average age of 31.8 SD ± 5.4 years, mostly white, married, with higher education and only one pregnancy. 95% of the participants recognized the importance of the doula's work and had a positive perception of the follow-up, in addition to claiming (93%) that their work contributed a lot during childbirth, especially in the physical and emotional areas (48%). Regarding the interaction with the nursing team, 51% stated that there was. Conclusion: The doula is a professional who contributes to the humanization of childbirth care, her support was considered positive and beneficial, however, her inclusion in the childbirth care team is a challenge to be faced.