Sadly sometimes having a friend there who is untrained and / or unexperienced can create an experience you didn't hope for. One mum said that her friend looked at her as if she might die with the contractions, and others realise they do feel shy or anxious with them there. Some just have no idea what to do and simply 'observe'. A Birth Attendant / Doula is trained (I trained for 9 months in my course, some are less) in the art of support - so he doesn't just have a childbirth class, but she learns all there is to know about support in birth.

I always suggest to anyone who is unsure to have a meeting with a Birth Attendant or Doula, no strings attached, to see what they are like, what they can offer and if it is for them. No-one can recommend something without having had both - and I mean a trained birth attendant not just any old person! It's a huge difference and you will find those who have had one don't go back to having no birth support. I'm sure the several women I have supported on BellyBelly would tell you the same.

It's like everything in birth and for baby - give yourself some accurate information, read about it from reliable sources before making a decision. You may think you might like privacy now, but it really appeals to you that a birth attendant can offer:

For the birth
Reduction in length of labour (by an average of 98 minutes)
The use of analgesia reduced by 35%
Epidural use decreased
Reduction in oxytocin augmentation (drip to speed up / stregnthen labour) by 71%
Reduction in use of forceps by 57%
Caesarean births reduced by 51%
Plus heaps more

Things like this are really important to some people and when they know they are up against the system, this is really appealing. On the other hand, there are those who it isn't so important to, and thats okay.