The word, "doula," is a Greek word referring to a woman who has expereince and is educated in the process of childbirth, who provides continuous physical, educational, an emotional support before, during, and after childbirth. A Doula...

• Recognizes childbirth as a key life experience that the mother will remember all of her life...

• Understands the physiology of birth and trhe emotional needs of a woman in labor...

• Assists the woman and her partner in preparing for and carrying out their plans for birth...

• Stays by the side of the laboring woman throught the entire labor...

• Provides emotional support, physical comfort measures, an objective viewpoint, and helps the woman get the information she needs to make good decisions...

• Facilitates communication between the laboring woman, her partner, and clinical care providers...

• Percieves her role as nurturing and protecting the woman's memory of her birth experience.