Some couples preparing for their baby's arrival have heard of, read about, or even had doulas at previous births. But many more have never even heard the word "doula," or have just come across it for the first time in their childbirth preparation class. So what is this doula thing? Who are these women and what exactly do they do?

The word doula is Greek, and literally means "servant" or "helper." But the word has evolved to mean someone who is trained to support a woman through labour and childbirth. Doulas started out as everyday women who wanted to be there for pregnant friends, family members, and acquaintances, sharing in an experience that is one of the most powerful events of a woman's life.

Women supporting women through labour is not a new concept. For thousands of years and within every culture that has ever graced this planet, women have been looking to other women to be with them, nurture them, and care for them as they move through the beautiful, incredible, awe-inspiring event of birth. Giving birth to a baby is not just "another day in a woman's life" - it is a profoundly life-changing experience, and the main goal of a doula is to ensure that childbearing families have a positive, empowering birth, and that the woman feels nurtured, taken care of, and loved.

Since birth moved to the hospital in most industrialized nations, professional doulas have become very popular, many women feeling they need the extra support, but even in home births doulas have a role, as an extra pair of compassionate hands is never a detriment to birth. More and more members of the birth community- phyisicians, midwives, nurses, and the birthing families themselves- are beginning to realize that having a doula at their birth is an invaluable blessing.