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
If passed, this legislation would expand access to midwives and doulas, extend care for postpartum and breastfeeding periods, invest in research to address maternal mortality and mitigate risks to birthing people and their children.
—Brea Baker, Refinery29, 22 May 2025
Her doula guided her one night trying to induce labor through exercises and positions, like walking, doing yoga and pumping breast milk.
—Kate Hogan, People.com, 11 May 2025
During Charlotte’s first two births, her best friend was her doula, and Charlotte filled the same role when her friend was pregnant, driving eight hours to be in the delivery room in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.
—Rhaina Cohen, The Atlantic, 11 May 2025
The brand donates proceeds from quilt sales to fund grants and scholarships for Black and Indigenous midwives and doulas, partnering with organizations like the Birth Future Foundation and the National College of Midwifery.
—Martie Bowser, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025
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Brea Baker, Refinery29, 22 May 2025
Her doula guided her one night trying to induce labor through exercises and positions, like walking, doing yoga and pumping breast milk.
—Kate Hogan, People.com, 11 May 2025
During Charlotte’s first two births, her best friend was her doula, and Charlotte filled the same role when her friend was pregnant, driving eight hours to be in the delivery room in the early days of the coronavirus pandemic.
—Rhaina Cohen, The Atlantic, 11 May 2025
The brand donates proceeds from quilt sales to fund grants and scholarships for Black and Indigenous midwives and doulas, partnering with organizations like the Birth Future Foundation and the National College of Midwifery.
—Martie Bowser, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for doula
Cite this Entry
“Doula.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doula. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.
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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