What Does a Doula Actually Do? A Complete Guide

The Simple Answer

A doula is a trained professional who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to you before, during, and after birth. Unlike medical providers, doulas don't deliver babies or make clinical decisions—we focus entirely on YOUR comfort, confidence, and informed decision-making.

Think of a doula as your dedicated support person, advocate, and guide through one of life's most transformative experiences.

What Doulas Do: The Real Work

Before Birth (Prenatal Support)

Doula support starts long before you go into labor. During our prenatal visits, I help you:

• Understand your options for birth location, pain management, interventions, and more
• Create a birth plan that reflects your preferences while staying flexible
• Learn comfort techniques like breathing, positioning, and massage
• Address fears and questions in a non-judgmental space
• Coordinate with your partner about how they can best support you

During Labor and Birth

This is where doulas really shine. I'm with you from active labor through the first hours after birth, providing:

Physical Support:

• Suggesting position changes to help labor progress
• Counter-pressure, hip squeezes, and massage
• Helping you move and change positions
• Offering comfort measures like cool cloths or water
• Reminding you to eat, drink, and use the bathroom

Emotional Support:

• Reassurance during difficult moments
• Helping you stay calm and focused
• Celebrating your strength and progress
• Creating a peaceful environment

Informational Support:

• Explaining what's happening in your body (without giving medical advice)
• Helping you understand your options when decisions need to be made
• Facilitating communication with your medical team
• Advocating for your preferences

Partner Support:

• Suggesting ways your partner can help (they're not replaced—they're empowered!)
• Taking over when your partner needs a break
• Capturing special moments so they can be present

After Birth (Postpartum Support)

Birth doulas typically include one postpartum visit to:

• Process your birth experience
• Answer questions about recovery and newborn care
• Provide initial breastfeeding support
• Check in on your emotional wellbeing

Postpartum doulas offer more extensive support in the weeks and months after birth:

• In-home help with newborn care and feeding
• Light household tasks so you can rest and bond with your baby
• Emotional support as you adjust to parenthood
• Sibling care and family adjustment support
• Evidence-based information about infant care and development

How Doulas Are Different From...

Midwives

Midwives are medical professionals who provide prenatal care, deliver babies, and manage clinical aspects of birth. Doulas provide non-medical support and work alongside your midwife (or OB).

Many people have both a midwife AND a doula—they complement each other beautifully. Your midwife handles the medical care while your doula focuses entirely on your comfort and emotional support.

Nurses

Hospital nurses are amazing, but they have multiple patients, charting responsibilities, and shift changes. A doula stays with YOU the entire time, never leaves for a shift change, and isn't pulled away to care for other patients.

Your Partner

Doulas don't replace partners—we support them! Many partners feel relieved to have an experienced professional there to guide them. After the birth, partners often tell me they couldn't have imagined going through it without a doula.

What Doulas DON'T Do

To be clear, doulas:

• Don't perform medical tasks like checking dilation, monitoring fetal heart rate, or delivering babies
• Don't make decisions for you—we help you understand options so YOU can make informed choices
• Don't speak for you to medical staff—we help you communicate your own preferences
• Don't judge your choices—whether you want medication or not, hospital or home birth, we support YOUR decisions

Does Research Support Doula Care?

Absolutely. Multiple studies show that continuous labor support from a doula leads to:

• Shorter labors (by an average of 41 minutes)
• 31% lower risk of needing Pitocin
• 15% higher chance of spontaneous vaginal birth
• 10% decrease in pain medication use
• 38% lower risk of having a low Apgar score
• Higher satisfaction with the birth experience overall

(Source: Cochrane Review, "Continuous support for women during childbirth")

Who Benefits From a Doula?

Everyone. Seriously. Doulas support:

• First-time parents who want education and reassurance
• Experienced parents who want support for a different birth experience
• People planning unmedicated births who want comfort techniques
• People planning epidurals who want support during early labor
• Families facing high-risk pregnancies who need extra emotional support
• Single parents or those without a dedicated support person
• Cesarean births (both planned and unplanned)
• LGBTQ+ families

The Bottom Line

A doula is your dedicated support person—someone who's been trained to help you feel informed, empowered, and cared for during pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. We bring evidence-based knowledge, practical hands-on support, and genuine empathy to one of life's biggest moments.

Whether you're planning a medicated hospital birth, an unmedicated home birth, or anything in between, a doula can help you feel more confident and supported every step of the way.