Natural birth? Leave men at home

Women who want a natural birth should take another woman into the labour room, new research shows.

Caesareans and forceps births and far less likely to be necessary if a mother-to-be has a trained woman alongside supporting her.

In the last 50 years childbirth has moved from home to hospital and a woman's natural support network - her mother, sister, neighbour - has been replaced by medical staff and her partner.

Four out of five men are now present at the birth of their child, something almost unheard of a generation ago.

But a backlash is beginning and a growing number of women are paying "doulas" to talk them through births, giving advice and rubbing their backs to ease pain.

A Canadian review of 15 research trials involving 10,000 women found that those who had continuous support from a trained woman needed less pain relief and unnatural intervention from medical staff. The mothers who had a paid doula (Greek for servant) by their side also reported a more positive experience than those who just relied on a midwife whose attention is often diverted by other women in labour.

This year, intervention births became the norm for the first time, according to Department of Health figures. Only 45 per cent of new mothers now have a spontaneous labour and delivery. This is despite a growing desire among pregnant women to avoid hospital and opt for natural, water or home births.

Doulas - who charge £250 to £500 to attend a birth and may give advice throughout and rub the woman's back - are still fairly uncommon in Britain. But they are popular in the United States where technical intervention is even greater.

Toronto University's Professor Elaine Hodnett, who carried out the review, said the presence of a woman whose only role was to support the mother was "very powerful".