The term “doula” is a Greek word that refers to “a person of service” and it was popularized in the 1970s by the American anthropologist Dana Raphael, who was a strong proponent of breastfeeding. Raphael used the term “doula” in her book, The Tender Gift: Breastfeeding, to describe the vital role of non-medical care-givers who support breastfeeding parents during the postpartum.
Not long after, Dr. Marshall Klaus and Dr. John Kennell began conducting research on the medical outcomes of childbirth when continuous care is provided throughout labor by a non-medical support person. Klaus and Kennel also adopted the term “doula” to refer to these birth companions and their research revealed significant medical benefits to doula-assisted births.
The term doula was still relatively unknown in the 70s and 80s but started to gain greater recognition by the 1990s and was finally accepted into dictionaries in the early 2000s. Today the word “doula” is synonymous with birth and postpartum support.