A doula's role is to nurture and protect the woman's memory of her birth experience.

What is a doula?

The Greek word doula means woman caregiver. We now use this word to describe a trained and experienced labor companion who provides birthing families continuous emotional support, physical comfort, and assistance in obtaining information before, during, and just after childbirth. 

A birth doula…

• acknowledges birth as a major life experience that the mother will forever hold near and dear

• understands the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a woman in labor

• assists the woman and her partner in preparing for and carrying out their plans for the birth

• stays with the laboring woman throughout the entire labor

• provides emotional support, physical comfort measures, an objective viewpoint, and assistance to the woman in getting the information she needs to make informed decisions

• facilitates communication between the laboring woman, her partner, and care providers