Abstract
The current study investigated the association between doula support during labor and delivery and childbirth satisfaction and breastfeeding self-efficacy among Iranian women. Thirty-three Iranian mothers from Davis, Sacramento, San Jose, and Los Angeles participated in this study. A survey design was employed to collect mothers’ responses to the Mackey Childbirth Satisfaction Rating Scale, to the Breastfeeding Personal Efficacy Beliefs Scale, and to the Maternal Prenatal Demographic questionnaires. The questionnaires were sent to participants in either English or Farsi (the parent preferred language) by mail along with a letter that provided general information about the purpose and process of the research study and consent form. Correlational analyses were conducted in order to explore the association between receiving emotional support from doulas and the women’s self-reported childbirth satisfaction and breastfeeding self-efficacy. Results indicated that doula support during labor and delivery was significantly associated with childbirth satisfaction and breastfeeding self-efficacy among Iranian women who have been living in California. Future research should include larger samples and in-depth interviews to better understand the experience of doula support, and to develop models of doula effectiveness, in order to enhance childbirth satisfaction and breastfeeding self-efficacy among this population.