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  “We have a secret in our
culture… it’s not that
birth is painful… it’s that
women are strong.”
- Laura Stravoe Harm

Questions and Answers

What is a Doula?
A doula is a woman who assists another woman during labor and provides support to her, the infant, and the family after childbirth.

Why should I have a Doula?
Eleven scientific studies published in such places as the Journal of the American Medical Association, the New England Journal of Medicine, and the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology have documented the positive effects of doula support.

    Reductions in:
  • the overall cesarean rate by 50%
  • the length of labor by 25%
  • oxytocin use by 40%
  • the use of pain medication by 30%
  • forceps deliveries by 40%
  • requests for epidural by 60%


    • Increases in:
  • rates of breastfeeding
  • mothers' confidence level
  • mothers' assessment of her health and her newborn's health
For more information on these studies, see The Doula Book by Klaus, Kennell, and Klaus.

What's Different about a DONA Doula?
As a DONA Certified Doula I have specific Standards of Practice and a Code of Ethics I am bound to follow. DONA requires recertification every three years; DONA expects their doulas to keep up-to-date with evidence-based research and to always be looking for opportunities to further our education. DONA has a grievance policy/procedure "to provide a mechanism through which the public and the community of doulas may be protected if there is misconduct on the part of a DONA Certified Doula" (see link for source). Training and certification are not necessary to do doula work, but I felt aligning myself with DONA an important step on my journey as a doula. For more information about DONA, visit www.dona.org.

What About My Partner?
Some families worry a doula will take the partner's place; as a birth doula, I can no more take your partner's place than I can take your practitioner's place -- we have separate roles and there is room for all of us. Doulas do not take the place of partners, instead doulas help fortify the mother/partner relationship by providing comforting words, hands, and experience the couple might not have access to otherwise. What a doula brings to each birth is a familiarity of the birth process and the similar feelings each mother goes through, as well as wisdom to calm, strengthen, and create a sacred space around the laboring couple.


> Read more about a doula's role in your birth.