The term “Doula” comes from the Greek word for “servant". Doulas are skilled labor assistants, and can also be call birth assistants, labor support professionals, and birth companions. Doulas are women who are passionate about birth and are dedicated to making the experience as comfortable and memorable as possible.  Before labor, a doula can provide the mother with information, help create a birth plan, and will want to get to know a mother and her partner before the birth. During labor, a doula provides a mother and her partner with continuous, uninterrupted support. This is accomplished through positioning, massage, emotional support, and relaxation techniques.  Additionally, a doula can facilitate communication with the caregiver. Once the baby is born, a doula can assist in establishing breastfeeding and help get the new family settled immediately after birth.

Doulas are not meant to replace fathers or other support persons during the labor and delivery process.  The doula works as a member of their team.  She can help the father assume the level of participation with which he is most comfortable.  A doula can help reassure both the mother and the father (or support person), provide encouragement to them both, and help the father find ways to be an active participant in the birth.

Study after study has shown that doulas provide numerous benefits, with no negative side effects.  It has been show that births where a doula is present:

·         tends to result in shorter labors with fewer complications

·         reduces negative feelings about one’s childbirth experience

·         reduces the need for pitocin (a labor-inducing drug), forceps or vacuum extraction and cesareans

·         reduces the mother’s request for pain medication and/or epidurals