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
Death doulas guide people through their final life transition.
—Ashley Abramson, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2026
Expanding doula care, experts say, is a relatively inexpensive way to help reduce maternal mortality, which kills Black mothers like Stewart at a rate more than three times higher than white women.
—Laura Ungar, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
One large health insurer is even rolling out the benefit for members nationwide, signaling a dramatic change in how doulas interact with the healthcare system and who can access them.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 25 Mar. 2026
Pregnant women are now allowed to temporarily receive Medicaid coverage while their eligibility is being processed, and Medicaid covers doula services and remote monitoring of vitals.
—Scott Bauer, Twin Cities, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for doula
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Ashley Abramson, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2026
Expanding doula care, experts say, is a relatively inexpensive way to help reduce maternal mortality, which kills Black mothers like Stewart at a rate more than three times higher than white women.
—Laura Ungar, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
One large health insurer is even rolling out the benefit for members nationwide, signaling a dramatic change in how doulas interact with the healthcare system and who can access them.
—Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 25 Mar. 2026
Pregnant women are now allowed to temporarily receive Medicaid coverage while their eligibility is being processed, and Medicaid covers doula services and remote monitoring of vitals.
—Scott Bauer, Twin Cities, 19 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for doula
Cite this Entry
“Doula.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/doula. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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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