What is a Birth Doula?

If you've never heard of a doula, don't feel bad.  It's actually a fairly new label for a job that has been around for centuries. The word "doula" comes from ancient Greece, and originally referred to the most important female household servant . This servent was usually the one present to assist the woman of the house when she was in childbirth. Now, a doula is "a woman experienced in childbirth who provides continuous physical, emotional, and informational support to the mother before, during, and just after childbirth." -Klaus, Kennell, and Klaus