WORLD DOULA WEEK! The word "doula" comes from ancient Greek, meaning "a woman who serves." Quite literally, a doula hired for your birth is there to serve you, the mother, and support you and your family in any way she can. Doulas provide emotional, physical, and educational support to pregnant women. A birth doula is someone who provides emotional, physical, and informational support through pregnancy, labor and delivery, and the immediate postpartum period.