07/11/2025
Have you ever wondered where the word doula comes from?💡
Its roots trace back to ancient Greece, where it originally meant “a woman who serves.
Though the word has ancient origins, it was historically not applied to what we now recognize as the doula role! In the 1970s, medical anthropologist Dana Raphael popularized the term to describe someone who supports mothers through breastfeeding and postpartum recovery. Since then, the definition has expanded to include birth doulas, postpartum doulas, full-spectrum doulas, and even end-of-life doulas, each offering non-medical, emotional, physical, and informational support during some of life’s most transformative moments.💪🏽
It’s important to acknowledge that this term was historically associated with servitude and, at times, slavery. In modern Greek, the word still literally translates to “slave.” While the term today has been redefined to reflect care, support, and strength, it’s worth acknowledging the complexity of its roots and it reminds us to be thoughtful about the words we use and their histories.
Additionally, the doula’s role today is deeply modern: centering the person, holding space, advocating for dignity, walking alongside families with compassion and purpose, and practiced as a profession rather than a social expectation.🙏🏽
We also recognize that not all doulas are women! We have many wonderful men who work as doulas.
Know someone who could learn from this? Share it with a friend and help spread the word about what doulas really do. You can also read more about it here from our Greek DONA trainer Maria Andreoulaki: https://bit.ly/4kuPrkR
