ABSTRACT
The doula profession aims to respond to the need for support of new and becoming mothers. This chapter describes the work of doulas during pregnancy, labor and birth, and postpartum. Doulas are defining their specific work niche, on the one hand combining in a single person “bits and pieces” of tasks and roles that have been traditionally covered by family members or different professional figures such as babysitters and live-in nannies, and on the other hand, satisfying childbearers’ needs in innovative ways that include going to the family home and offering active listening, care, empowerment, and in general paying attention to the emotional dimensions of women and families who are living the perinatal experience. The chapter illustrates three ideological types of doulas: the progressive doula, the philanthropic doula, and the individualistic doula, based on the different meanings doulas attribute to their work and the different values and perspectives they hold. Despite these differences, the development of the profession continues in Italy, thanks to the embodiment of a rhetoric of sisterhood and solidarity among doulas and among doulas and women.
