What is a Doula?

A doula is a professional labor assistant who provides emotional, physical, and informational support to the expectant mother and her birth partner. A doula attends the birthing family before, during, and just after the birth of a baby. The primary focus of the doula is to provide continuous support to the mother throughout the entire labor. She does not perform any medical tasks but actually complements the medical birth team. Whether the mother wants to give birth unmedicated, medicated, or is planning a c-section, a doula can provide tremendous support. The doula helps her to relax, provides massage, as well as employing other techniques to help cope with labor pains and assists with laboring and pushing options. She also helps the father participate in the birth to the extent that he feels comfortable (see "Dads and Doulas").

During pregnancy

The doula's role is to assist families in preparing a birth plan, to provide information about birth options and resources, and to provide emotional support. Her primary goal is to eliminate the fear of labor and delivery and to help instill a mother's confidence in her ability to birth her baby.

During labor and birth

The doula facilitates communication between the family and the caregiver, and supports the mother and her partner with the use of physical, emotional, and informational support.

Postpartum

The doula assists the mother in talking through her birth experience, answering questions about newborn care and breastfeeding within our scope of practice, and referring the family to appropriate resources as needed.

The Labor Doula's Scope of Practice

It is not within the labor doula's scope to offer medical advice or perform any medical or clinical procedure.