What is a Doula?

"Doula" is derived from the Greek word for the head female slave or servant in an ancient Greek household, the woman who helped the ladies through childbirth. In modern times, Doula has come to mean "a woman experienced in childbirth, who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to the mother before, during and just after childbirth"*.

The role of the Doula is really that of a mother substitute. A Doula works alongside the mother-to-be and her partner in the run up to the birth, during the birth and after the birth. She is there for support and advice as well as stepping in to help in a more practical way when needed. Very few families have the luxury of living near each other in this day and age, and women are giving birth and living with a new baby without the benefit of the care and attention that they so desperately need in the first days and weeks after the birth of their baby. It is unusual for partners to have longer than two weeks off from their jobs as paternity leave, and at this stage most women are still in need of support and practical help with looking after their babies.

* From Mothering the Mother: How a Doula Can Help You Have a Shorter, Easier and Healthier Birth by Marshall H. Klaus (PerseusPress, 1993)

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