What does doula mean?
A doula is a trained, non-medical companion who offers continuous physical, emotional, and informational support around childbirth — before labour begins, throughout delivery, and in the early postpartum period. Unlike a midwife or obstetrician, a doula performs no clinical tasks: her role is to reassure, encourage, suggest comfort measures, and advocate for the parents' wishes. The term has also broadened to cover support at other major life thresholds, notably end-of-life care, where an 'end-of-life doula' accompanies the dying and their families. The word derives ultimately from the ancient Greek 'doulē', meaning a female servant or slave, and was adopted into English in the late 1960s as interest in humanised, low-intervention childbirth grew. Today doulas are widely recognised in hospitals and home births alike, often working alongside medical staff rather than instead of them. Many pursue certification, though regulation varies by country. Warm, empathetic, and increasingly mainstream, the word connotes devoted, personalised presence at moments of profound vulnerability.
nounA trained, non-medical companion who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to a person before, during, and shortly after childbirth; the term is also applied more broadly to experienced support at other life transitions such as death.
- A trained non-medical professional who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to a mother before, during, and shortly after childbirth.
- By extension, an experienced companion who provides similar support through other significant life events such as dying (an 'end-of-life' or 'death' doula).
"Her doula stayed by her side throughout the long labour, offering encouragement and comfort when the medical team was busy elsewhere."
"They hired a doula to help them prepare a birth plan and provide reassurance during labour."
"After retiring from nursing, she trained as an end-of-life doula, sitting with hospice patients and their families."
The standard plural is 'doulas'; the learned Greek plural 'doulae' is rare and generally avoided in modern writing.
"Several doulas attended the training workshop."
The word comes from ancient Greek for a female servant — yet today it names one of the most trusted figures in modern childbirth.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of doula
The English word doula was borrowed in the late 1960s from Modern Greek usage of the ancient Greek noun 'doulē', meaning a female slave or servant. Anthropologists studying traditional childbirth practices first applied it to the experienced female relative or neighbour who assisted a new mother, and the term was popularised in American obstetric literature in the 1970s and 1980s. It shares its ultimate root with the Greek adjective 'doulos', meaning enslaved or servile, which appears in related scholarly terms.
How doula is actually used
Doula entered English in the late 1960s–early 1970s and is now firmly established in both British and American English. The plural is usually 'doulas', though the Greek-style plural 'doulae' occasionally appears in formal writing. The word carries warm, supportive connotations and is strongly associated with natural or holistic approaches to birth; it should not be used interchangeably with midwife, since doulas do not deliver babies or provide clinical care. Certification is available but not legally required in most places.
Easily confused with doula
A duenna is an older woman who chaperones a young unmarried woman, whereas a doula is a trained support companion during childbirth or another major life event.