The word "doula" comes from the ancient Greek meaning "woman servant" and is now used to refer to a trained and experienced professional who provides continuous physical, emotional and informational support to the mother before, during and just after birth; or who provides emotional and practical support during the postpartum period.

Studies have shown that when doulas attend birth, labors are shorter with fewer complications, babies are healthier and they breastfeed more easily.

A Birth Doula

• Recognizes birth as a key experience the mother will remember all her life
• Understands the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a woman in labor
• Assists the woman in preparing for and carrying out her plans for birth
• Stays with the woman throughout the labor
• Provides emotional support, physical comfort measures and an objective viewpoint, as well as helping the woman get the information she needs to make informed decisions
• Facilitates communication between the laboring woman, her partner and her clinical care providers
• Perceives her role as nurturing and protecting the woman's memory of the birth experience
• Allows the woman's partner to participate at his comfort level

Doulas work in all birth settings, from hospitals to birth centers to homes. They perform no clinical tasks, but are there to provide the "bedside manner" that is missing in many settings today. Doulas are knowledgeable in the process of birth and have usually given birth themselves. For the woman in labor, a doula is a valued guide through uncharted waters. Professionally certified doulas are trained to provide the laboring woman with continuous emotional, physical, and informational support. Doulas work for the couple and are advocates for their wishes.