Hi everyone,

I have just read a very interesting article on Nurses and Doulas: complementary Roles to Provide Optimal Maternity Care... The purpose of the article is to clarify some misconceptions about the doula's role and discuss ways that midwives and doula's can work effectively together. The goal of the midwife is to ensure a safe outcome. The goal of the doula is to ensure that the woman feels safe and confident.

In the USA Doula's work privately, community care and hospital-based programs using volunteer or paid doula's who work shifts.

Hopefully one day in the near future Australia will develop hospital-based care, where doula's are employed by hospitals if they choose, so that more families who would have not have heard of doula's or could not afford one; could receive wonderful care: