Zone 1: Our Community’s Doulas

🌀 About this zone

turning adversity into advocacy for a beautiful birth

Many community doulas have faced the challenges of the maternal health crisis firsthand—through their own birth experiences or those of loved ones. They have transformed that experience into a mission: to ensure that birth is not only safer but also empowering and beautiful, no matter the journey. By confronting daily injustices in the maternal care system, they help birthing parents feel confident, respected, and in control — reimagining what birth can be.

Community doulas meet each parent where they are, listening to their needs, honoring their wishes, and building the support system they deserve.

This kind of care is rooted in a long tradition—from Black grand midwives to great aunts and grandmothers—who have always nurtured new parents, new babies, and new families, and a legacy of community care. Through their work, community doulas are bringing joy and connection back to the heart of birth.

🎧 Additional audio stories

Darianny - Birth is not a medical emergency in and of itself

Juju - Bringing joy back to birth

Marise - Reclaiming knowledge and power in birth

Simone - A beautiful birth

🔎 Learn more: Definitions of doula and its origins

A community doula is a trained support person who cares for birthing parents before, during, and after birth. They are not medical providers — they offer emotional support, physical comfort, and clear information to help parents feel safe, respected, and in control of their birth experience. Community doulas come from the neighborhoods and cultures they serve, bringing knowledge of local resources and traditions. They help parents prepare for birth, stay calm and supported during labor, and recover with care after delivery — making sure no one has to navigate pregnancy and birth alone.

Here are some other ways organizations define the work and role of a doula:

New Jersey State Definition: “A doula supports the pregnant individual through pregnancy and the postpartum period with education and emotional and physical support. They may visit their clients in the home/community, accompany them to clinical appointments, and provide continuous labor support at the hospital.” - LINK

Children’s Home Society: “A community doula is a person in your community trained to provide emotional, physical and informational support to pregnant women and their families during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period.” LINK

Doulas of North America - DONA: “Like travel guides in a foreign country, birth and postpartum doulas help support new families through the life changing experience of having a baby.” LINK

As you will explore in this exhibition, the origins of doula work is as long as the history of birthing. However, the specific word “Doula” wasn’t used until 1976. Medical anthropologist Dana Raphael took the word from a conversation with an Greek person, Eleni Rassias, describing an experienced woman assisting the birthing parent after birth. “Doula” is from an ancient Greek word for “female slave” or “maidservant”. Over time, the term has evolved to its modern meaning of a trained professional who provides non-clinical physical, emotional, and informational support during the perinatal period. Doula work has also expanded to include the full spectrum of pregnancy outcomes (e.g., birth, abortion, adoption, miscarriage, stillbirth, and perinatal loss), as well as services to women, men, transgender, and gender non-conforming people. LINK 1 LINK 2