What is a doula? The people who offer support through pregnancy, labour, and beyond

The pandemic has seen a rise in women seeking a trained companion who can offer bespoke support and advice from pregnancy through to labour

Doula, Anita Petry, right, with her client Caroene Santos and her baby Elena, four months. Picture: Moya Nolan

When Caroene Santos was 15 weeks pregnant, she did a Zoom call with the doula she was considering hiring to guide her through pregnancy and the birth of her firstborn.

“My husband was with us on the call. I liked the way Anita Petry worked so we agreed she’d be my doula,” says the Brazilian native who’s based in Dublin and married to Galway man, Niall Murphy.