So, what is a Doula?

Birthing women have been emotionally and physically supported by female companions for centuries.

A doula is not a health professional - they don’t offer medical advice. Their primary role is to support birthing women and their birth partners by offering information, advocating for you and your desires and needs, and providing physical and emotional support.

Doulas started regaining popularity a decade ago, as more women actively prepared for their birth and better understood the influence of support during their pregnancy, birth and postpartum.

In our society, doulas become particularly useful in a fragmented model of care where you may see a different midwife or obstetrician at every appointment. Continuity of care has been shown to improve birth experiences and outcomes, yet a lot of women don’t have access to this level of care in the hospital system.

Evidence shows that when a doula attends a birth, labours are shorter, with fewer complications, and babies breastfeed more easily.