doulas

Noun

doula (plural doulas)

1. A trained support person who provides emotional, physical and practical assistance to a pregnant woman or couple before, during or after childbirth.
   • The function of the doula varies in different cultures from a little help here and there to complete succoring, including bathing, cooking, carrying, and feeding. Whatever the doula does, however, is less important than the fact that she is there.1973, Dana Raphael, The Tender Gift: Breastfeeding, Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall, →ISBN, page 24
2. A trained person who provides similar support to someone who is diagnosed with an incurable condition and is receiving end-of-life care.