"Doula" is a Greek word meaning woman caregiver. Today it is used to describe a trained and experienced birth companion who provides a woman and her partner with continuous emotional support, physical comfort, and assistance in obtaining information during pregnancy, labor, and birth.
What a doula does:
- Assists the woman and her partner in preparing for and carrying out their plans for the birth
- Stays by the side of the laboring woman throughout the entire labor
- Understands the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a woman in labor
- Provides emotional support and an objective viewpoint
- Helps a woman and her partner get the information they need to make decisions that are right for them
- Uses her knowledge of positioning, massage, breathing, relaxation, and other comfort measures to help speed and ease labor
- Facilitates communication between the laboring woman, her partner, and clinical care providers
- Assists with the first breastfeeding experience and mother/baby bonding
- Recognizes childbirth as a key life experience that the mother will always remember
Please see my Benefits of Doulas page for wonderful statistics and information on what a doula can do for you!