Douloi Types Have Expanded – We’re All Here!
In the United States, doulas were first recognized in only the birth field prior to the 1930’s, as they worked with midwives to provide home births before hospital births became the norm (1). However, the concept of the support role then expanded into postpartum and since the start of the Death Positive Movement in the early 1970’s, death doulas/doulos came on to the scene (2) and helped expand into even more fields and titles:
Abortion, Adoption
Birth, Postpartum
End-of-Life, Death, Hospice, Bereavement
Fertility, Menopause
And More!
Full Spectrum (preconception, birth, abortion, miscarriage, adoption, and postpartum)
Threshold Doula (birth and death)
Womb Doula (fertility, pregnancy, loss, and menopause)
Radical Doula (advocacy work for under-served communities)
And More!