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”Doula” is an ancient Greek word which has come to mean
“the woman who mothers the mother”.
A Doula stays with a laboring woman throughout her entire labor and birth experience, helping her to cope with this major life event.
 A Doula’s knowledge and experience can help the birth partner to participate comfortably in the birth. They work as a team.
A Doula gives the birth partner helpful ideas about what comfort measures work best during the different parts of labor and birth.
A Doula often has years of experience attending women throughout labor and birth. She may have professional training and certification through Doulas of North America, International, or the Association of Labor Assistants and Childbirth Educators. She understands the process of giving birth and can give you information to help you make informed decisions. She may help you to think about and prepare a birth plan.
A Doula can never replace the love and caring that the birth partner provides during the birth experience. No one else can fill this special role. A Doula will respect your preferences.
 Emotional support in labor can:
- Shorten first-time labor by an average of 25%
- Reduce the need for a cesarean section by 50%
- Reduce the use of drugs to stimulate labor by 40%
- Reduce requests for epidural anesthesia by 60%
- Reduce the need for forceps-assisted birth by 40%
A Doula will:
- Provide physical comfort
- Massage or soothing touch; hand holding
- Help with breathing and relaxation techniques
- Suggest positions or techniques for comfort and progress
- Provide emotional comfort
- Reassurance of normality, coping ability, etc.
- Encouragement
- Validation of feelings
- Inform clients
- Meet the client prenatally. Provide education as necessary.
- Answer questions with accurate information
- Seek out information when they don’t know the answers
- Act as an extra pair of hands for the parents
- Go out for food for the birth partner
- Get extra pillows, blankets, ices chips for the mother
- Take pictures
- Encourage self-determination
- Support their clients’ goals
- Make sure their clients understand their choices
- Translate jargon when necessary
- Continue support in the post Partum period
- Help with breast feeding
- Review/encourage guidelines for seeking medical attention
- Assist new family in becoming confident in their baby care skills
A Doula will not:
- Practice Medicine
- Do exams or procedures
- Make diagnoses or prescribe treatments
- Give second opinions
- Assist physician or midwife with medical care (adjust IV, administer oxygen, etc.)
- Make decisions for clients
- Advise or persuade clients to follow a particular course
- Withhold approval for using or avoiding pain medications
- Speak on behalf of their clients to medical staff
- Interfere with the relationship between the provider and client
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“Linda painted a picture of total relaxation.
It made the labor so much easier.”
-Katharine, Apple Valley
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