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
Made up of OBGYNs, nurses, doulas, and midwives, these teams are well-rounded, multidisciplinary, and cater to meet the birthing person’s needs.
—Essence Editors, Essence, 29 May 2024
Owner and founder Jennifer Darwin has spent the past decade working as a labor and delivery nurse and doula, and she’s always recognized the need for furthering parents’ education during the postpartum period.
—Blake Bakkila, Sunset Magazine, 23 May 2024
This includes successful bills that guaranteed one year of prenatal and postpartum healthcare coverage to pregnant women, made pregnancy a qualifying life event to allow pregnant individuals to sign up for insurance, and expanded access to midwives and doulas.
—Baltimore Sun Media, Baltimore Sun, 11 Apr. 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for doula 
Essence Editors, Essence, 29 May 2024
Owner and founder Jennifer Darwin has spent the past decade working as a labor and delivery nurse and doula, and she’s always recognized the need for furthering parents’ education during the postpartum period.
—Blake Bakkila, Sunset Magazine, 23 May 2024
This includes successful bills that guaranteed one year of prenatal and postpartum healthcare coverage to pregnant women, made pregnancy a qualifying life event to allow pregnant individuals to sign up for insurance, and expanded access to midwives and doulas.
—Baltimore Sun Media, Baltimore Sun, 11 Apr. 2024
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
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.
Dictionary Entries Near doula
Cite this Entry
“Doula.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doula. Accessed 6 Jun. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share