HOME | WHAT IS A DOULA? | BENEFITS OF HAVING A DOULA | SERVICES | FEES | FOR DADS OR BIRTH PARTNERS | PHOTOS | CONTACT INFORMATION | RESOURCES | THOUGHTS FROM SOME OF MY CLIENTS | VISIT OUR NURSERY ~ Shh...babies sleeping What is a Doula? The word "Doula" comes from the Greek and means "Woman's Servant". Today we use the word Doula to refer to women who have experience with labor and birth. They are also professionally trained to provide emotional, educational, and physical support to the family, before, during and after the baby is born. Woman-to-woman support in childbirth is not a new concept—it has always been the norm in traditional cultures all around the world. In America, the role of the professional doula is becoming better understood, and as a result more and more pregnant women and their partners are hiring doulas to assist them in childbirth or to offer support after they have brought the baby home from the hospital.   A birth doula recognizes birth as a wonderful part of life that the mother will remember all of her life understands the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a women in labor assists the women and her partner in preparing and carrying out their plans for the birth provides support in hospitals, birthing centers and homes stays by the side of the laboring women throughout the entire labor provides emotional support, physical comfort measures, and objective view point, and assistance to the woman in getting the information she needs to make good decisions facilitates communication between the laboring women, her partner, and clinical care providers perceives her role as one who nurtures and protects the woman's memory of her birth experience   A postpartum doula refers to lay women who are trained or experienced in providing: postpartum care mother and newborn care breastfeeding support and advice childcare running errands such as light Commissary or BX shopping light domestic chores such as washing up the dishes, washing a load or two of laundry, cooking a small meal *Having a doula to assit during childbirth is highly reccomended by healthcare professionals, mothers, fathers or birth partners, no matter how much support you have. Enlisting the services of a doula would also be a great recommendation for mother's who's spouses or partners are deployed, or if you are a single parent. This also makes a great gift from the Grandparents who wish they were there to help, but couldn't make it at the time.   A prenatal doula refers to lay women who are trained or experienced in providing: emotional support companionship breastfeeding preparation childcare running errands such as light Commissary or BX shopping light domestic chores such as washing up the dishes, washing a load or two of laundry, cooking a small meal attending prenatal appointments with the mother exercise support if allowed by a doctor