“I am not a doula to hold babies,
I am a doula to hold mothers.”
“My goal is to help the laboring person have a satisfying birth as they define it.”
Individualized Support
A birth doula’s role is shaped by the unique needs of each client, offering physical, emotional, and educational support throughout pregnancy, labor, and early postpartum. Whether you're planning a home birth, birth center, or hospital birth, your doula is there to provide guidance and support. Some ways a doula may assist include helping you explore your options, offering basic education around birth and lactation, suggesting comfort measures during labor, providing emotional encouragement, and even assisting with your baby’s first latch after birth.
Doulas also help you navigate your choices, communicate effectively with your care team, and ensure your voice is heard throughout the experience. Whether you choose natural comfort techniques, plan for an epidural, or prepare for a cesarean birth, a doula is there to support your decisions. Additionally, doulas offer support to partners, family, and friends, helping them feel confident and connected to the experience, and as involved as they wish to be. It’s important to note: while doulas provide incredible support, they do not provide medical care — that remains the responsibility of your midwife or OB/GYN.
What’s a Doula?
Studies have shown that when doulas attend birth, labors are shorter with fewer complications, babies are healthier and they breastfeed more easily.
Personalized Education and Guidance
Even if you’re taking a childbirth class, having a doula makes a world of difference. I can help you dive deeper into what you learned, answer your specific questions, and walk alongside you as you prepare for your unique birth experience.
Support for You and Your Partner
Doulas don't take the place of your partner — we empower them too. Whether it's helping them feel more confident, offering ideas for hands-on support, or just being an extra set of calm, capable hands during labor, I'm there for both of you.
The Little Things That Feel Like Magic
Just like you’ll pack a bag for birth, your doula likely brings one too — full of small comforts that make a big difference. Honey sticks, essential oils, massage tools, hair clips... and maybe most importantly, the perfect cool washcloth or sip of water when you need it most.
Consistent Support, From Start to Baby
Unlike hospital staff who may need to pop in and out, your doula stays by your side as long as you want. I’ll be there through every surge, breath, and milestone, offering steady encouragement and care.
Protecting Your Space and Voice
When you’re deep in labor, it can be hard to remember everything you planned. Your doula can help gently bring your wishes back into focus, making sure there’s space for you to be heard and honored in the moment.
Expert Comfort and Labor Techniques
Doulas are trained in all kinds of ways to support your body during birth — the right positions at the right time, counter-pressure to ease discomfort, breathing with you, grounding you with words and touch. Whether you're standing, kneeling, on hands and knees, or resting in bed, I’ll be there, helping you move through it with strength and grace.
FAQs
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The term doula originates from ancient Greek, meaning "a woman who serves." In modern practice, a doula is a trained professional who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to a birthing person before, during, and shortly after childbirth, or who offers practical and emotional care during the postpartum period.
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The role of a doula has been passed down through generations, with individuals supporting others through pregnancy, labor, birth, and postpartum care for millennia. While the term "doula" was first introduced in English-speaking countries in the 1970s, the practice itself has existed throughout history. Initially, doulas trained through apprenticeships, with formal certification programs emerging in the late 1980s. By the 1990s, there were only three training organizations globally; today, there are hundreds offering diverse programs. Doulas are now more widely recognized by the public and medical professionals alike.
Extensive research has consistently demonstrated the positive impact doulas have on birth outcomes. Health departments acknowledge the benefits of doula support, and many insurance companies now cover the cost of doula services. As the medicalization of birth continues and many individuals give birth away from family, the demand for doula services is expected to grow. With a rising desire for more empowered, informed, and participatory birth experiences, more clients are turning to doulas to help them navigate their birth journeys.
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None! There are no state or federal requirements or certifications for working as a doula, so completing a training course is not mandatory. The profession remains largely unregulated.
However, while formal qualifications are not required to call oneself a doula, high-quality training is highly beneficial. Proper training helps individuals understand the full scope of the role, ensuring their practice remains safe, ethical, and well-prepared to handle the complex situations that may arise.
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A midwife is a trained healthcare provider, typically completing 3-4 years of education, who offers clinical care to the pregnant individual and their baby.
In contrast, a doula is a non-clinical professional with a deep understanding of pregnancy and birth, focused on providing emotional support, guiding clients in their decision-making, and helping them navigate their choices.
While midwives may also offer some emotional support, especially in certain settings, doulas and midwives typically work together, each contributing their unique, complementary skills to support the client’s needs. -
● Birth doulas typically work with clients during pregnancy, labor, birth, and the first few days after birth.
● Postpartum doulas support families from birth for about the first six weeks.
● A full spectrum doula works with clients experiencing all pregnancies, including those that end in miscarriage and termination.
● Death doulas work with families who have recently had a loved one die or where a death is anticipated, either the death of a baby or an older family member.