From my experience and from the studies I have read there are a great many benefits to labor support.
Women are less likely to choose an epidural or analgesia and pain medicine including narcotics.
This is due to their ability to control their pain and their perception of pain.
Labor support can offer mothers tools to deal with their pain, the support to stay focused and relaxed and positive affirmations, which help mother's feel they are doing a good job.
Many mother's would prefer not to use drugs to control their pain and when labor support is present and helping them use the techniques of positions, massage, pressure points, visualization, relaxation and movement mother's are less likely to choose pain medications there in accomplishing their goals.
Women who have labor support are also less likely to need an assisted delivery with the use of forceps or vacuum.
Mother's who have labor support are more likely to move around, changing positions regularly.
This helps babies move into the pelvis in the correct positions, which allows the mother's labor to progress more efficiently and with less pain.
If a baby is in an OP position it can be very painful for the mother as with each contraction the babies head is pushed against the mother's spine.
This also makes labor slower to progress and often leads to an assisted delivery.
Also mother's who have labor support are more likely to use different positions for pushing and delivery of their baby.
When mothers are encouraged to use different positions such as hands and knees, squatting, and lunging it is easier for them to use gravity and open their pelvis creating an easier birth and less need for assisted delivery.
Also the use of different positions can help mother's rotate a posterior baby so it can move it to the pelvis correctly.
Mother's who have labor support are also less likely to need a cesarean birth.
This could be due to any of the above benefits of having labor support such as the choice to have less pain medications, the use of movement to help labor to progress and the baby move into the pelvis better or the use of upright positions for birth.
Cesarean births are a major surgery and if a mother can avoid them they avoid risks that could harm them and their babies.
Women who have labor support also have a higher satisfaction with their birth experiences.
This could be due to several factors that labor support contributes, those women who would not like to have pain medication and choose not to feel a sense of accomplishment and strength from completing their goals.
Women are more likely to view the pain and discomforts of labor as purposeful and normal due to the labor supports positive affirmations and words of encouragement.
Women have a quicker recovery from a vaginal birth then a cesarean therefore are usually more satisfied with their birth experience.
There are many benefits to labor support; shorter labors that progress more easily and with correct position of the baby are more likely.
Women are less likely to perceive pain, be fearful and ask for pain medication.
They are more likely to be satisfied with their birth experiences, which leave mother's feeling strong and empowered.
In conclusion the purpose to labor support to is to help mother's accomplish their goals, have less complications and feel stronger by having fulfilled their goals in childbirth.