A doula is a professional support provider who trusts and understands the physiological process of childbirth and respects the psychological and social impact a birth experience has on the whole family. Doulas provide practical, emotional and informational support and have no agenda of their own. They know that everyone will birth and parent in ways that are right for them and they provide you with evidence-based information that will allow you the best choices for you.

From the beginning of time, women have received compassion, kindness and support during pregnancy and childbirth, from the community. Sisters, aunties, mothers and friends from the village would support the new family and guide them through the early weeks and months with a newborn. However, today this support is often not there because our lives usually involve more travel and relocation. Therefore, this important role is now provided in a professional capacity – the doula!

Evidence-based research shows that providing continuous support during childbirth significantly improves outcomes. The data collected “focused on women’s, partners’, family members’, doulas’, providers’, or other relevant stakeholders’ perceptions and experiences of labour companionship”.

Want to learn more? Read our blog post on all the benefits of having a Doula support you through this beautiful time in your life.

Antenatal doula:

• Providing evidence-based antenatal education for pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period
• Answers questions specific to your personal care plan
• Explains all of your birth options and helps you to prepare a personalised birth preference document
• Support you with your postnatal planning
• Support you to set up your nursery – we are experts at opening and organising the mountains of Amazon boxes!

Birth doula:

• Recognises birth as a key life experience that will be remembered for life
• Understands the physiology of birth and the emotional needs of a person in labour
• Assists the woman or birthing person, and the partner (if there is one), in preparing for and carrying out their wishes for the birth of their baby
• Stays by the side of the labouring woman/person throughout the entire labour
• Provides emotional support, physical comfort measures, an objective viewpoint and assistance to the woman or birthing person in getting the information they need to make choices.
• Facilitates communication between the labouring woman/person, the partner and medical care providers
• Perceives the doula role as one who nurtures and protects the woman’s or birthing person’s  memory of their birth experience

Postnatal doula:

• Recognises that becoming a mother/parent is a life-changing event
• Understands that each new mother/parent needs to find and discover their own way of mothering/parenting
• Offers education, non-judgemental physical and emotional support during the first three months or more following the addition of a new baby to a family
• Assists with newborn care, family adjustment, meal preparation and light household tidying
• Offers evidence-based information on infant feeding, emotional and physical recovery from birth, infant soothing and coping skills for new parent

Night Doula:

• Recognises that transitioning to parenthood can be difficult and understands the importance of a good nights sleep
• Gives new parents the opportunity for blocks of sleep so that feel able to cope with demands of a newborn and enjoy their time together
• Assists with practical tasks overnight, such as nappy changes, feeding, winding and settling the baby. Overnight doulas support both breast and bottle-fed babies; for breastfed babies the doula will bring your baby to you so all you have to do is feed and then snuggle back down 
• Overnight support helps you in your postnatal recovery.
• Some overnight doulas will prepare breakfast for you before they leave

Full Spectrum Doula:

• Providing support from preconception, including fertility support through to birth and beyond.
• They may offer support during abortion, miscarriage, Termination for Medical Reasons (TfMR), surrogacy and adoption
• Holds space and provides companionship tailored to your individual circumstances 
• Offers emotional support during times that are recognised to be stressful and difficult to navigate

​A Cochrane review (research) carried out in 2019 explored the effect of continuous support for women* during childbirth.  The results of these reviews concluded that if a woman has continuous support during childbirth, which means having someone there the whole time, both mothers and babies are statistically more likely to have better outcomes.

The Cochrane review was able to look at six outcomes and document the difference a birth partner made in these areas:

1. use of any pain medication,
2. use of artificial oxytocin during labour,
3. spontaneous vaginal birth,
4. caesarean births,
5. the baby’s admission to special care nursery after birth,
6. negative birth experiences.

Two out of the six outcomes showed the best results when the support was provided by a doula – someone who was not a member of the hospital staff and who was not part of the woman’s social network.

The researchers found that overall, women who have continuous support during childbirth experience a:

• 25% decrease in the chance of a caesarean birth; if the birth partner was a doula it was a 39% decrease
• 8% increase in the likelihood of a spontaneous vaginal birth; if the birth partner was a doula 15% increase
• 10% decrease in the use of any pain medication
• Shorter labours, on average by 41 minutes
• 38% decrease in the baby’s risk of a low five minute Apgar score
• 31% decrease in the risk of being dissatisfied with the birth experience; mothers’ risk of being dissatisfied with the birth experience was reduced with continuous support provided by a doula or someone in their social network (family or friend), but not hospital staff

Further research can be found here

Postnatal doulas: Research by experts tells us what many have long suspected, that those new parents who have support and feel secure and cared for during this time are more successful in adapting than those who don’t. Studies have shown that cultures in which women are cared for by others for a defined period of days or weeks and are expected only to nurture themselves and their babies during that time have superior outcomes in postnatal adjustment. We know that women who experience support, compared to those that don’t, have: 

• greater breastfeeding success
• greater self-confidence
• less postnatal depression

Coming into the home during the fourth trimester following birth, the doula’s role is to provide education, non-judgmental support and companionship; and to assist with newborn care and family adjustment, meal preparation and light household tasks. Postnatal doulas offer evidence-based information on infant feeding, emotional and physical recovery from birth, infant soothing and coping skills for new parents and can make appropriate referrals when necessary.

The doula can serve as a buffer for new parents who receive a great deal of unsolicited and possibly outdated advice. The doula can help friends and family members to foster and support the parenting decisions of the new parents. By modelling a deep respect for the wisdom and decision-making abilities of the new parents, they makes clear that supporting them in their own choices will have the best possible results. By dedicating themselves to the family in this way, doulas validate and enhance the parents’ intuitive ability to nurture and this encourages them to develop and implement their own parenting style.

​(From the DONA Position Paper On Postpartum Doulas)

*women/woman/mother is terminology referred to in this research. We acknowledge that not all birthing people identify as such.

Birth doulas support birth at home, hospital, birth centres, labour wards or anywhere else you may choose. 

Postnatal doula support can take place in your home, hospital, on holiday or other outings. 

Many doulas also offer remote as well as in person support via various online platforms such as Zoom or FaceTime. This means that you can get doula support virtually if you are not comfortable with in person support or would prefer remote support if you are elsewhere in the world for example.

The answer is actually both! All doulas are self-employed and run their own doula businesses or work with other doulas in collectives. Find out from the doulas you speak to how they work, if they have doulas available for backup or if they have shared-care agreements.

There is currently no official or governing body for doulas in the UK. A doula is a ‘lay’ person, offering support and guidance in the perinatal years.

As there are no regulations, there are no requirements for doulas to hold any type of insurance or to have undergone a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. However, we support the suggestion that doulas do have both a valid DBS certificate and public liability and indemnity insurance cover. You may wish to check this when you interview a doula.

You can connect with doulas as soon as you find out that you’re pregnant and some doulas also offer pre-pregnancy services. However, it’s never too late to look into having doula support and a doula can be booked at any time during your pregnancy as well as in the postnatal period.

The most important thing is to find someone who you really connect with. After all, they’re going to be sharing in one of the most intimate times of your life so they have to be the right person; what that looks and feels like is going to be different for everyone. Some look for a sisterly doula, others for a motherly doula and there are also grandmother doulas out there. Your job is to find the right one for you.

Doulas come in all shapes and sizes and it’s good to meet a few. We advise you to interview more than one doula.

If you feel a connection, you feel safe and uplifted, you feel that this doula is right for me – you should go with your instinct.

Unless you are cared for by an independent midwife, you are likely to see different midwives during their pregnancy; a doula provides you with continuity of carer. Some doulas will meet you at your home before going to your place of birth, bringing you a nice familiar friendly face to reassure you and add immense value for continued progress and minimal emotional upheaval.

If you are having a home birth your doula will be familiar with your surroundings, finding things quickly and easily implementing comfort measures.

They will stay with you until you are physically and emotionally settled after birth or if there is a reason you need to transfer into the hospital, the doula will be your constant whilst the midwife is busy with making arrangements so you be provided with emotional stability and continuity of care.

Soon after birth, the midwives will be busy cleaning up and writing notes, however, the doula will still be your side.

In the time following birth you will normally see several different midwives and a health visitor, however, the doula will be able to consistently be there to listen to any concerns.

A postnatal doula is non-judgemental and provides various options and solutions to challenges experienced by new parents.

Someone who is not part of the immediate family, social network or health care professionals can bring evidence-based information to empower new parents to discover what is right for them.

Doulas are not medically trained and do not give any kind of medical advice, instead, they provide you with accurate and evidence-based information so you can make your choices confidently.

They do not:

• Carry out any midwifery tasks such as vaginal exams or monitoring the baby’s heart tone
• Diagnose conditions
• Make decisions on behalf of their clients
• Pressure or try to convince their clients to do what they consider to be the best thing
• Take over the partner’s role but instead offers support to them too
• Usually change shifts or leave after a certain number of hours

Postnatal doulas provide practical and emotional support. They generally do not:

• Work full-time hours
• Have sole care of the baby
• Take overall responsibility for your baby
• Diagnose conditions

A doula is available for everyone – even doulas use doulas! We support anyone, including the most vulnerable. Some doulas work with local charities and voluntary organisations who recognise the value we bring with the support we provide.

The cost of hiring a doula varies depending on a number of factors such as location, experience and packages offered. It is common to find prices across the UK ranging from £850- £2000 for birth doula packages and £15/hr-£40/hr for postnatal services.

Doulas are self-employed and clients pay them directly. Check whether expenses and mileage are already included in your doula’s packages or whether this will be an additional cost. Some doulas offer payment plans so it’s always worth contacting a few doulas to understand what they offer.

Part of a doula’s role is to support your partner to support you. The birth partner role is key to your support, however, as doulas, we bring experience and knowledge to the team, which in turn gives your partner reassurance. A doula doesn’t replace your partner, they just strengthen your team. It’s not uncommon for partners to feel anxious and overwhelmed about the thought of being the main support during birth and the newborn days so a doula boosts their confidence and allows them to be the best possible support they can be to you.

A doula provides continuity of care and has the time to focus on your individual emotional well-being and practical needs. Unlike midwives, doulas do not provide any medical advice or assistance. Doulas are not bound by NHS guidelines and hospital policies so they can provide unbiased, evidence-based information to support you in your decision-making. Midwives are used to working with doulas and understand their role.

A postnatal doula puts the mother/parent at the centre of the care, whereas a maternity nurse/nanny focuses on the baby. A doula is there to ‘mother the mother’.

Firstly, don’t worry, it’s totally normal not to know in advance of your baby arriving exactly what support you will need. A postnatal doula will help you to think through what life with a newborn will be like, taking into account any existing support and then will suggest how they can best support you. Remember, it’s never too early to engage with a postnatal doula to ensure that you get the person that you want.

It’s as simple as 1, 2, 3!

1. Add favourites via the Doula Directory (you must create a free account to do this)
2. Hover over your Account icon in the top right hand side of your screen and navigate to ‘My Favourites’
3. Use the ‘Message All’ button to fill out our contact form and send it to all your favourite doulas – saving you precious time and effort!