I think that widespread use of doulas would be a very good thing. Full disclosure: I didn't have one, but my mother is a trained doula, as well as an RN (plus, she taught childbirth classes for 20 years).

My daughter was born with a midwife in the hospital. According to the accounts from my friends, so it is all anecdotal, I believe I had more time with the midwife before, during and after childbirth than doctors generally can take with their patients (please note that I am not criticizing doctors) and I think doulas really can help fill that gap for people, providing extra reassurance and assistance.

My mother went to the doula certification class for fun. She's never actually charged anyone, but she has been a birth coach for many women and loves doing it. I don't think anyone would become a doula for the money, so I'd expect that even for those people who are charging for their service and treating it like a business, it is still something of a labor of love.

By the way, to Lynn Harris: Congratulations and that was a great article in Glamour!

It is just so important to have someone who is really there for you. It's sort of like having a mentor.Someone who has been through the process and can tell you if everything is ok and point you in the right direction if you are having trouble. Most of early motherhood is just full of strange, confusing stuff. Even grandma's can be of limited help. Partners, unless they have already had kids, are on just as steep a learning curve.

I had a really tough first baby. Both the birth and her infancy were very hard. It would have been nice to have been able to discuss what was going on without having to make an appointment and write a check. Plus I think a support person would have noticed what a wreck I was. So I think in todays more isolated parenting environment, this would be great. Especially the idea of including those who can afford it least and may need it most.

Sign me up! I would totally do this!

Like you needed another reason, after Obama and Durbin. Chicago / Illinois politics is thorny stuff, but Blagojevich and Daley generally do right by their constituents. Illinois is a progressive wonderland. Chicago's got it's problems like everywhere else, but good people are here trying to fix them. Seriously, move here. You won't regret it.

We interviewed a couple of doulas before having our first child. We wound up not contracting with one. The reason? They put themselves between my wife and me.

The first interviewee wouldn't even look me in the eye, positioned herself physically between us and scoffed at anything I said. (As in, "How early into labor should we contact you?" Not exactly an off-the-wall question.)

The second advised against me being in the labor-and-delivery room. I guess I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' no babies, so stay away.

My wife did both births herself, with me by her side, and breastfed both boys into their third years.

I was excited to see Broadsheet's piece on Doulas and low income women. I want to use the opportunity to highlight another great group working with Doulas in Chicago: Centro San Bonifacio (www.sanbonifacio.org). A community health organization, Centro San Bonifacio trains latina immigrants to work as Doulas with other low income latina women. Through their Comadres (or Godmothers) project, women get home visits from Doulas who work with them on prenatal health, nutrition, breast feeding, car seats, and other health issues. The program serves hundreds of women who, because of poverty, language issues and immigration status, might not otherwise receive the care they need and deserve.

Although Doulas have often been a privelege of upper class women, there's no reason that they should be. I'm glad to see so many programs are democratizing the power of women's health education and support.

That is really shameful that you were treated that way by the doulas you interviewed. I am not doula myself (yet) but my mother has been for years and would say that one of the main purposes of a doula is to free the husband from the anxiety of the process - or even of feeling responsibility for a process he has no control over - so he can give his full attention to loving his wife and giving her emotional support, not to mention experiencing his own feelings about what's happening. Undermining the relationship would be terribly counter-productive.

Your response really means a lot. I know the two people we itnerviewed should not stand for all doulas, but it did sour us on looking much further. I know there are dedicated, compassionate people out there helping partners become parents. Good luck with your endeavors!

discounted dad, as someone who was privileged to have a doula assist me and my husband at the birth of our daughter, I can tell you that a good one does indeed help both. Afterwards, my husband said "just having the doula there was so much more helpful than the childbirth classes we took". Having someone who could come to our house before it was time to go the hospital and reassure my husband that he was doing well supporting me; make suggestions, help us know when it was time to go; be there to help work with the hospital staff; and have a plan for addressing my worst fear about birth.

We paid--a lot--for the service and were very glad to do so, but I'm delighted to hear about doula services being made available free--it's both compassionate and cost-saving, a highly sensible policy.

I would at least look into having a doula. My husband, I think, really would rather go back to the old days when the men sat in the waiting room and smoked during delivery. He was there for me during our scheduled C-section (baby was breech), but I think he would have had a hard time in regular childbirth, even though we took classes together. And neither one of us had any experience with babies -- no nieces or nephews or friends with kids, and mental and physical health problems precluded either of our mothers from being much help. Having someone to turn to would have been a big help. And I'm sure that's even more so for underprivileged mothers who may be young and single.