Who do women choose for companionship during that life-changing, life-giving moment of birth? A husband or boyfriend? Their mother? A close friend? For a growing number of women in Scotland, such as Debbie Gilmour, the answer could well be none of the above.

Instead, when Gilmour was expecting her second child, Jessica, she elected to share one of the most emotional moments in her life with a doula, a woman who provided guidance through the most difficult moments of crisis and pain, even though she had no medical expertise.

If, from the outside, this decision to share her experiences with a relative stranger seems strange, it should not. A few minutes in Gilmour’s company is enough to convince even the most ardent sceptic that she derived intense satisfaction from the efforts of her doula, Leah Hazard.

“I simply couldn’t have done without Leah,” smiles Gilmour.

“I certainly couldn’t have had the baby at home.”

Hazard, who lives in Glasgow, is one of about 20 doulas in Scotland; another six are in training. Five years ago there were just four in the country.

The word “doula” is derived from ancient Greek, and refers to a woman who serves another woman. Working alongside medical staff, the doula’s role is to sustain a mother through the emotional and physical traumas of pregnancy and birth. They may also act as advocates for mothers-to-be, helping to explain their wishes to medical staff who can appear unreceptive.

The reported results are impressive. Research from America shows that women supported by doulas had lower caesarean rates, fewer epidural requests, fewer forceps deliveries, and shorter labours. Six weeks after birth, mothers were found

to be less susceptible to depression, more likely to be breast-feeding and were more satisfied with their partner.

For Hazard, an expatriate American, the inspiration to get involved came after the birth of her own child in 2003. That experience persuaded her to give up a career in the media to train as a doula.

“It felt like the perfect way for me to try and provide other women with a positive experience of birth and early motherhood,” says Hazard. “A lot of the women who contact me have had a bad experience first time round. It’s great to be able to help.”

That was true of Gilmour. The young mother, from Kilmacolm in Inverclyde, explains that the birth of her first child, Harry, by emergency caesarean section, had been a frightening and painful experience. Second time round she was determined to have a home birth in a water pool — a decision that worried medical professionals and her family.

“The consultant and even the midwives were doing a lot of shroud-waving,” recalls Gilmour. “My partner’s friends were telling him, ‘You’ll have to talk her out of that.’”

Without Hazard’s support, Debbie believes she would have succumbed to the pressure. “I would cry on the phone to Leah and she was very supportive. She also explained things to my partner. He was worried I would be screaming for an epidural, but she managed to explain the difference between induced labour and natural-onset labour.”

When the day of the birth came, Hazard was there for Gilmour, alongside a team of midwives. “Leah just stayed calm and provided reassurance,” says Gilmour. “There were some hairy moments and one of the midwives panicked. An ambulance was called, but Leah just stayed really calm and everything was fine.”

When Jessica arrived, Gilmour was in the birthing pool. “I caught her myself and brought her to the surface. I felt so empowered and confident and joyful. Bonding was instant.”

Like many expectant mothers, Gilmour says she had at first hoped to consult an independent midwife, but at a cost of about £2,500 that was out of her reach. A doula was not: the service usually costs between £250 and £400 for antenatal consultation and birth support and £10 an hour for after-birth support.

Many of Scotland’s doulas are trained by Adela Stockton, a former midwife who has written a book, Positive Pain, about emotional wellbeing in labour.

“A big part of it is teaching them how important it is just to be there, and for doulas that often means sitting there in silence and showing the woman by your calmness that everything she is going through is completely normal.”

Supporting male partners is another important role. “Men can feel powerless,” says Stockton. “In a long labour they might sit there for 12 or 15 hours without feeling they can leave the room.”

In Inverness, the novice doula Sharon Fitzpatrick says that more people are finding out about the services she offers. A parent herself, she has been struck by the demand for postnatal services, though she understands it well. “The doula is someone who will support the new mother without telling her what to do,” she says. “I can give advice on breast-feeding, cook a meal or tidy the kitchen. Or just let the mother have some time to herself. I wish I’d had a doula when I had mine.”

Hazard is not likely to make the same mistake. It was, she says, a privilege and a joy to be able to help Gilmour experience the

birth she had planned for Jessica. Now, with another child of her own expected in November, Hazard has already arranged for two doulas to help her through the next great life event.

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