What Is a Doula?

The word "Doula" comes from the ancient Greek term meaning "woman's servant". 



Today, a Doula has come to be known as a professional labor coach that provides emotional, physical and informational support to a mother and her partner before, during and immediately following birth.



Doulas can help make your birth journey a fully informed, nurtured and confident time.  We are not meant to take the place of your partner, but instead to support your both by offering guidance and suggestions that allow your partner to be more effective. 

Doulas do not perform medical tasks or give medical advice, nor will we speak for you. Rather, we offer non-medical support such as providing suggestions for comfort measures and position changes in labor, giving continuous emotional encouragement, and working as a source of information for the parents.



The continuous support of another woman that accompanies you in your birth journey is an ancient practice that has many modern benefits.  This invaluable support has been shown to result in:

 

• 50% shorter labors

• 55% reduction in cesarean rates

• 85% reduction in epidural requests

• 65% reduction in narcotics requests and use of forceps

• 65% reduction in Pitocin use to augment or induce labor

• 50% increase in breastfeeding success over the first 6 weeks

• Improved relationship between the mother and partner over non-Doula assisted births



  *From Mothering the Mother by Kennel, Kennel and Klaus