My sister had a doula for her first birth, and was considering not having one for her second (she loved the doula, but was looking to save money) and her DH refused to go doula-less! He's a fantastic, supportive guy, but still loved having "an expert" around who knew way more than he did. He also felt it left him free to just hold her hand if that's what she wanted and do other things for her without stressing.