What is a doula and why do I need one? All you need to know.
If you're pregnant for the first time, or perhaps carrying your second baby after a challenging previous birth experience, you might find yourself scrolling through pregnancy forums at 2am (because when else do we do our best thinking/worrying/spiralling?). You keep seeing this word pop up: doula.
In this article, I give you an overview of what a doula is and how having one to support your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum period could benefit you and your family.
Doulas - we've been around for ages!
The word "doula" comes from ancient Greek, meaning "a woman who serves." For thousands of years, across cultures around the world, women have been supported through birth and early motherhood by other experienced women. In many cultures today – from the traditional confinement practices in China to the community support systems in Indigenous Australian communities – the importance of nurturing care during this transformational time is still deeply understood and honoured.
Somehow, in our modern world, we've moved away from this village approach to birth. We don't live close to our families. Our friends are busy with their own lives. We don't know our neighbours. But the need for that compassionate, knowledgeable support and nurturing hasn't disappeared – it's just been given a name: doula care.
So what exactly does a doula do?
A doula is your professional birth and postpartum companion – someone who walks alongside you during one of life's most profound experiences.
“Unlike your midwife or doctor, who focuses on the medical aspects of your care, a doula is there purely for you (and your birth partner) – for your comfort, your confidence, and your emotional wellbeing.”
Through a supportive and trusting relationship, doulas provide continuity of care—which the World Health Organisation recognises as improving outcomes for women and babies. A doula is your personal birth advocate, calming presence, and source of evidence-based information all rolled into one.
We're not medical professionals, but we're experts in the emotional and physical support that can change your birth and postpartum experience from something you get through to something you can feel empowered and transformed by.
The two sides of doula care
A doula can support you in your pregnancy and birth, your postpartum period only, or both. It depends on your wants, needs, and circumstances. Here's a bit more information about each.
Birth Doula Support
Prenatal assurance
Doula birth support begins during pregnancy. Usually, you and your birth partner (if you have one) will meet face-to-face with your doula 3-4 times before you go into labour. During these catch-ups that last around 1.5 hours, you'll get to know one another. Your doula will provide informational support about the process of childbirth and ask about your hopes and fears for your labour. She will seek to understand the kind of birth you'd like, and help you create a birth plan. A doula will often provide support outside of these meetings via phone, email, or message, and can even come to specific appointments with you if needed.
Keeping your birth space sacred
Once labour begins, your birth doula will usually come to your home or meet you at the hospital, depending on how you have chosen to give birth. Here, she becomes a keeper of your sacred birth space. That might sound a bit woo-woo, but doulas recognise that birth is a rite of passage and a transformational experience. A woman who is giving birth deserves the utmost compassion, kindness, and respect for autonomy. Anyone present in the birthing room should respect the innate knowledge you have of your baby and body. They should trust in your ability to give birth to your baby and acknowledge that you are the most powerful person in the room. Part of a doula's job is to manage the energy in your birth space so these conditions are met and you are empowered to have the birth you want.
Helping your birth partner help you
A doula isn't there to replace your birth partner (unless you'd like her to). Many women want their partners to be actively involved in their labour and birth, but this can be overwhelming to many partners, especially when they see their loved one in what seems to be pain. A birth doula will encourage your partner to act as your primary support person. Showing them how to help you and guiding them on what they can do.
Practical support
Doulas are great at taking care of the little things. Need something to snack on? She's got the perfect thing in her bag. Need a cushion under your knees while you work through a contraction? She's already onto it. Creating a calm and soothing atmosphere? She's got the blinds closed and fairy lights on. We're also your biggest cheerleader, encouraging you through the harder moments, reminding you how well you're doing, and we've got some tricks up our sleeve to help you cope with the intensity of labour—like Rebozo's and optimal positioning.
Your advocate
Doulas often bridge the communication gap between clinical staff and women in labour. We act as advocates for you, speaking up in support of your preferences when you or your partner are unable to. We help you understand your options and remind you of the questions to ask, so that whatever birth you end up having, you feel in control and confident about your choices.
Once your baby is here, we stay with you until you and your birth partner are ready to be alone in your baby bubble. We usually check in with you in the immediate days afterwards to see how you are doing, physically and emotionally.
[Learn about my birth doula service]
Postpartum Doula Support
If you've chosen postpartum doula support, it begins in the first weeks after your baby is here. For many families, this is when doula care becomes even more valuable. The postpartum period, also called the fourth trimester, is a time of huge adjustment for your body and mind. Aside from physical recovery, your hormones are recalibrating, you're learning all about your baby, and everything feels unfamiliar. Having a trusted person who just gets it and is there for you can make a huge difference to your wellbeing.
Postpartum doula support varies from doula to doula. Most will include regular in-home visits that last between 2.5 and 4 hours. What your doula does in that time is completely tailored to your needs, but will often include one, some, or all of the following.
Protecting your recovery
Your body has just performed the incredible feat of growing and birthing a human being. You deserve time, space, and support to heal. A postpartum doula holds space for your recovery by taking care of the practical things that can feel overwhelming in those early weeks. Whether that's preparing nourishing meals, doing light housework, or simply holding your baby while you have a proper shower, your doula is there to give you permission to rest and ensure your basic needs are met so you can focus on healing and bonding.
Feeding and settling support
Your baby is their own little person, and in those days and weeks after their arrival, you'll be spending a lot of time getting to know and understand the unique way they communicate with you. A doula can help you decipher when they're hungry, tired, overstimulated, or simply need comfort, as well as support you through common sleeping and feeding issues, whether you are breastfeeding, bottle feeding, or both.
Emotional sanctuary
It's no surprise that a woman's mental health can suffer after giving birth. Even if you've had a positive birth experience, hormonal shifts cause considerable changes in our brains. This period is a time of complex and conflicting emotions, joy sits alongside resentment, happiness with grief, overwhelming love next to loss for your previous life and identity. For many women, one of the first things they want to do is debrief their birth, sharing their story to process and understand what they have just achieved. Doulas hold a non-judgmental space where you can express your feelings freely. They walk alongside you during this transition, providing encouragement and a reassuring presence that you aren't alone.
Building your village
Your postpartum doula can help connect you with local resources, parent groups, and services that can extend your support network beyond your time together. Whether it's connecting you to a lactation consultant, postnatal exercise classes, or local parent groups, doulas help you build a sustainable support system.
[Learn about my postpartum services]
Is doula care right for you?
You might be wondering whether you really need a doula. Perhaps you're thinking, "I have my partner and my midwife or doctor – isn't that enough?"
Here's the thing: your partner loves you deeply, but they're going through their own intense experience becoming a parent. In the moment, it can be difficult for them to know how to support you best. Your midwife or doctor provides excellent medical care, but they're often caring for multiple families and focused on clinical outcomes.
A doula is there purely for you and your birth partner. Whether this is your first baby and you're feeling overwhelmed by all the unknowns, or you're carrying your second child and hoping to heal from previous birth trauma, doula support can make a profound difference.
Research consistently shows that continuous support during labour – the kind that doulas provide – leads to shorter labours, fewer interventions, more positive birth experiences, and less risk of postpartum depression.
Curate the birth you want
Every woman's path to motherhood is unique. There's no one "right" way to give birth, no perfect postpartum experience, and no need to have it all figured out. What matters is that you feel supported in making informed decisions that feel right for your family.
Your doula should not push any particular agenda or birth plan, but instead, support your choices. Helping you access accurate information and ensure you feel heard and respected throughout your experience.
Whether you're planning a natural birth or know you'll want an epidural, whether you're hoping for a VBAC or scheduling a caesarean, whether this is your first baby or your fifth – you deserve compassionate support.
Hiring a doula is an investment in one of the most important experiences of your life. It is part of curating the birth and fourth trimester you want for yourself. How you're treated during this time matters and has a lasting impact on your wellbeing now and in the years to come. Every woman deserves to feel supported, empowered, and cared for during this incredible transformation.
Contact Kelly
If you have any questions or would like more info, I’d love to hear from you. Get in touch by clicking the button below and completing the contact form.
About Kelly Allen
My name is Kelly, and I’m an emerging birth and postpartum doula who is completing training at the Doula Training Academy. I service women and birthing people in the North Shore of Sydney, helping you enter and emerge from birth and the fourth trimester feeling physically and emotionally well.