The Greek word doula means woman caregiver. The word is now used to describe a trained and experienced labour companion who provides the woman and her husband or partner continuous emotional support, physical comfort and assistance in obtaining information before, during and just after childbirth.
 
A birth doula...
 
...recognizes birth as a key life experience that the mother will remember all her life...
 
...understands the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a woman in labor...
 
... assist the woman and her partner in preparing for and carrying out their plans for the birth...
 
...stays by the side of 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 good decisions...
 
... facilitates communication between the laboring woman, her partner, and the clinical care providers...
 
...perceives her role as one who nurtures and protects the woman's memory of her birth experience.
 
Benefits of having a Birth Doula
 
 
28% less likely to have a cesarean birth
31% less likely to use oxytocin to speed up labor
9% less likely to use any pain medication
34% less likely to rate their childbirth experience negatively
 
 
 
DONA International Birth Doula Manual/2017