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Throughout History, during labour, women were assisted by a skilled and experienced midwife. But they also had other women with them: a mother, grandmother, or friend capable of emotional containment and loving support. They were close women, who would take care and protect the mother after the birth, and who would cover her needs to allow her to recover and dedicate exclusively to the baby.

The challenges and demands of modern life have made it nearly impossible for extended families to live together or nearby, and the family core is a reduced one. As a result, women have lost the female environment that facilitates birth and motherhood, and have simultaneously been transferred to the territory of medicine and technology. Families and communities have stopped fulfilling this role while a specialized team take care of matters of an ancient female tradition.

What is a doula today?

The doula appears as a modern version of that old facilitating female figure, with her loving presence, protection and support during the beginning of motherhood.

A doula is a woman that accompanies other women during pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium, taking care of her general wellbeing and needs, particularly the emotional aspect. This can include her partner and other family members as well.

What we already know

Doulas can accompany women at Hospitals, Birth Centres and homebirths. Continuous emotional support and the confidence brought during the entire process have shown to improve and facilitate all the stages of birth and immediate post-partum. It’s been observed that women accompanied by a doula tend to experience birth more positively and have more confidence and security, which in turn benefits the mother-baby bond.