Some women do not live in close-knit communities where their sisters, mothers, aunts, and friends are there to support them through pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood; these events can be scary and can make a woman feel lost if she has to experience them alone. A doula helps fill this gap by providing support to the woman and her partner or support system throughout the childbearing year. A doula does not replace the support system; instead, they help support them so that they can focus on loving and encouraging the labouring woman. Doulas can serve as a source of information during pregnancy, labour and birth. A doula assists families in gathering information about their pregnancy, labour and the options available for delivery. Doulas can be trained and experienced in childbirth, however, in most countries there is no government regulation of their training, I have trained with Nurturing Birth and I am registerd with Doula UK. Their goal is to provide continuous physical, emotional, and informational support before labor, and during labour, birth and the immediate postpartum period. The intent of a doula is to help the woman have a safe and satisfying experience, as the woman defines it. A well trained doula understands and works within the doula's scope of practice and should not interfere with any medical aspect of labor and birth.
