doula

noun

dou·​la ˈdü-lə 

plural doulas

: a person trained to provide advice, information, emotional support, and physical comfort to a mother before, during, and just after childbirth

Research shows that childbirth does go more smoothly with a doula: labor is 25 percent shorter, the need for epidural pain relief is 60 percent less and the Caesarean section rate is reduced by half.

—Susan Gilbert

Examples of doula in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Susannah Mills, a painter and end-of-life doula, had left her place an hour earlier and taken her cat to her boyfriend’s house in Silver Lake. —Stephen Rodrick, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2025

The bill includes Medicaid reforms like: Coverage for doula and community health care worker services. —Alex Golden, Axios, 7 Feb. 2025

This postnatal vitamin was formulated by a team of ob-gyns and doulas to support your body up to five years after birth. —Kristine Thomason, Vogue, 26 Jan. 2025

Franciscan Health Crown Point hosting doula workshop Franciscan Health Crown Point is hosting a doula certification workshop over two weekends in March, according to a release. —Post-Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 2 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Modern Greek, female helper, maidservant, from Greek doulē female slave

First Known Use

1969, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

doula

noun

dou·​la ˈdü-lə 

: a woman experienced in childbirth who provides advice, information, emotional support, and physical comfort to a mother before, during, and just after childbirth