plural doulas
: a person trained to provide advice, information, emotional support, and physical comfort to a mother before, during, and just after childbirth
Research shows that childbirth does go more smoothly with a doula: labor is 25 percent shorter, the need for epidural pain relief is 60 percent less and the Caesarean section rate is reduced by half.—
Susan Gilbert
Susan GilbertExamples of doula in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
End-of-life doula Anita Neff said that one of the most frequent tasks with her work is helping families resolve complicated emotional situations before the death.
—Lauren J. Mapp, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 May 2024
Types of Doulas There are three primary types of doulas: birth doulas, postpartum doulas, and antepartum doulas.
—Pam Skop, Parents, 15 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for doula 
Lauren J. Mapp, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 May 2024
Types of Doulas There are three primary types of doulas: birth doulas, postpartum doulas, and antepartum doulas.
—Pam Skop, Parents, 15 May 2024
See all Example Sentences for doula
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'doula.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Doula.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doula. Accessed 29 May. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
doula
noun
dou·la
ˈdü-lə 
: a woman experienced in childbirth who provides advice, information, emotional support, and physical comfort to a mother before, during, and just after childbirth
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