# Care provider and labor support

**Who should care for us in pregnancy and support us in labor?**

Who will look after you in pregnancy and birth (an obstetrician or a midwife) and whether you will add a doula, a trained person who gives continuous support during labor.

In short: Parents choose between 4 main approaches: OB-led; OB plus doula; Midwife-led in hospital; Midwife plus doula out of hospital. Evidence: well established. Guidance and evidence agree. The real question is whether you'll follow it. Best settled: during pregnancy.

- Area: Pregnancy, birth and arrival
- Evidence: Well established
- Best settled: During pregnancy
- First published: 2026-10-03
- Last updated: 2026-10-05
- Page: https://www.raisingyourchild.com/topics/pregnancy-birth-and-arrival--care-provider-and-labor-support

## Care provider and labor support: what are the options?

1. **OB-led**: An obstetrician manages your pregnancy and birth.
2. **OB plus doula**: An obstetrician manages your care, and a doula stays with you for support during labor.
3. **Midwife-led in hospital**: A midwife leads your care and you give birth in a hospital.
4. **Midwife plus doula out of hospital**: A midwife leads your care and you give birth at a birth center or at home, with a doula for support.

## Care provider and labor support: what does the evidence say?

**Well established.** Guidance and evidence agree. The real question is whether you'll follow it. (Settled for support; provider is values)

Continuous labor support (27 trials, nearly 16,000 women) meant shorter labor and fewer cesareans, with no identified harms

Sources:

- [Cochrane](https://www.cochrane.org/evidence/CD003766_continuous-support-women-during-childbirth)

## What else is worth knowing?

Obstetricians are trained for complications and surgery; midwives specialize in normal pregnancy and birth and tend to use fewer interventions. A doula does not give medical care but stays with you through labor for comfort and advocacy. Your choice affects where you can give birth and who you see at appointments.

## Questions to ask each other

- What matters most to us in a care provider: medical backup, a personal relationship, or both?
- Do we want a doula, and what would the doula do that I would not?
- What would make us change providers?

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General information, not medical advice. Two parents can each answer this and compare: https://www.raisingyourchild.com/explore?cat=pregnancy-birth-and-arrival&topic=pregnancy-birth-and-arrival--care-provider-and-labor-support