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A doula is a professional who provides emotional, physical, informational, and practical support for the expectant, laboring. or postpartum mother and family.  She does not perform any medical tasks but actually complements the medical birth team.  The word doula, pronounced /doo-la/, comes from the Greek and is loosely translated as "woman servant".  

 

A Birth Doula helps a mother cope with labor pains and helps her have a pleasant birth experience, whether the mother wants to give birth normally, with medication, or is planning a c-section.  She helps the mother relax and feel confident, provides massage, and assists with the laboring and pushing positions.  The doula also helps the father participate in the birth to the extent that he feels comfortable.  Some labor doulas will take photographs, videotape the birth or write a birth story.

A postpartum doula supports a new mother and family after the birth.  She may help the mother by providing breast-feeding support, by doing light house work, cooking healthful meals for the family, entertaining the newborn's older siblings, or demonstrating new born baby care, like bathing the baby or cord care.  The doula may come every day for a few hours, a few times a week, or just provide support on the first day home. What they all have in common is a love for new motherhood and a desire to make pregnancy and childbirth the celebratory experience it is meant to be.