Today's Word "doula"
Woman who assists during childbirth
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Published in Vocabulary
doula \DOO-luh\ (noun) - A woman who assists during childbirth labor and provides support to the mother, her child and the family after childbirth.
"Our daughters are grown and on their own. Penny is a doula and midwife assistant in Oregon." -- Piers Anthony, 'Swell Foop'
Doula derives from Greek doula, "servant-woman, slave," akin to hierodule.