Doulas and Your Delivery

The word, 'doula,' comes from the Greek word for the most important female slave or servant in an ancient Greek household, the woman who probably helped the lady of the house through her childbearing. The word has come to refer to 'a woman experienced in childbirth who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to the mother before, during and just after childbirth.'

Doulas are trained and experienced in childbirth and provide continuous physical, emotional, and informational support during labor, birth and the immediate postpartum period. A doula's goal is to help the woman have a safe and satisfying experience as the woman defines it.

The concept of a Doula is not new. Women supporting other women through labor is an ageless tradition common to all cultures. It has only been recently that, the knowledge between generations of birthing women has been broken. Since many of us do not live in close knit communities where our sisters, mothers, aunts, and friends teach and support us through pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood, these life events can be scary and uncertain.

A doula fills this gap by providing support to a woman and her support system throughout the childbearing year. A doula does not replace the support person(s); instead she helps support them so that they can focus on loving and encouraging the laboring woman. Supports need support to!

Doulas also serve as a source of evidence based information during pregnancy, labor and birth. A doula assists families in gathering information about their labor and the options available. Another important role of the doula is providing continuous emotional reassurance, physical comfort such as massage, and trusting in the woman's ability to birth her baby.

The acceptance of doulas in maternity care is growing rapidly with the recognition of their important contribution to the improved physical outcomes and emotional well-being of mothers and infants.