
23/03/2023
Childbearing, labor, and birth has been a socially assisted and supported event through many different cultures throughout our world's history.
But the modern word "doula" was first coined by American medical anthropologist, Dana Louise Raphael in 1969. "Doula" was derived from the Greek word δούλα for “servant-woman”, "woman who serves", and, in some translations, "woman slave".
The term "doula" has been adopted by people of all identities such as men, non-binary, or agendered people and now extends to services beyond reproductive health-related support.
Doulas emerge and evolve to fulfill a much needed support role in whatever communities they serve.
Image of "Marble plaque showing parturition scene, Ostia, Italy." retrieved from Wellcome Collection and provided by the Science Museum, London under CC BY 4.0. (https://wellcomecollection.org/works/csav4z9x/images?id=wvgsaz25)