Full Circle

The term "Doula" is a word from Ancient Greek which refers to the head female servant in a household. Such a woman would have been the one to whom the "lady of the house" would turn for support in pregnancy, birth and care of her newborn.

More recently, as women throughout the world have sought to reclaim traditional supports in childbearing, the term Doula has come to refer specifically to a woman (or - rarely - a man) who assists women and their families in the childbearing year.

There are three kinds of Doulas:

• Birth Doulas work with women and their families prenatally, in labour, birth and the early post-partum period.
• Antepartum Doulas assist women who have special needs (such as being on bed-rest) during their pregnancy
• Postpartum Doulas help out in the post partum period which can be any time from days to many months after the birth.