General Resources

• Comfort in Labor by Penny Simkin, the internationally recognized leader in childbirth education and labor support. This helpful guide includes comfort measures, effective positions (with illustrations) and tips for partners and doulas.
• Cochrane Review: Continuous Support for Women During Childbirth. This is the largest systematic review of research available on this topic, updated in 2017.

About Doulas (Labor Assistants)

• DONA International includes basics on doulas and benefits of working with one, how to find and work with a doula and more.
• Lamaze International: Healthy Birth Practices includes a position paper reviewing the research evidence for continuous labor support, a video of women laboring with doula support and tips for finding a doula.
• DONA International Position Paper: The Birth Doula’s Contribution to Modern Maternity Care (2012).
• The Doula Advantage: Your Complete Guide to Having an Empowered and Positive Birth with the Help of a Professional Childbirth Assistant (2003), by Rachel Gurevich, reviews the many ways doulas provide labor support; how to find, hire and choose the right doula; how specialized doulas can help you before or after the baby’s birth and more.
• The Doula Book: How a Trained Labor Companion Can Help You Have a Shorter, Easier, and Healthier Birth (2012), by Marshall H. Klaus, John H. Kennell, and Phyllis H. Klaus, includes real-life examples of the interaction among the doula, the mother and her partner as well as detailed information about the training doulas receive, the techniques they use and research on doulas.
• The Doula Guide to Birth (2009), by Ananda Lowe and Rachel Zimmerman, describes what doulas do, how each woman can find a doula that suits her needs and preferences and the ways to support women during and after birth.

Find a Doula

• Birth Works: Find a Doula is an online directory of doulas by state.
• Childbirth International’s Find a Doula service allows you to search for doulas as well as childbirth educators, breastfeeding support, birth/newborn photographers and more.
• Childbirth and Postpartum Professional Association’s Find a Childbirth Professional online directory lists CAPPA members who choose to be listed. You can also call the toll-free number (888-548-3672) or contact info@cappa.net to get referrals for doulas not listed in the online directory.
• DONA International’s Find a Doula function (look for the search box on the far left side) is an online directory of DONA-certified doulas who choose to be listed online. You can also contact referrals@dona.org to get names of doulas who are not included in the online directory.
• Doula Match lets you search for doulas and childbirth classes.
• toLabor provides an online directory of certified professional birth doulas.
• This list of volunteer doula programs can connect you with hospital- and community-based programs that match volunteer doulas with women who cannot afford to pay for private doula services.

Resources for a Friend or Family Member

• The Birth Partner: A Complete Guide to Childbirth for Dads, Doulas, and All Other Labor Companions (4th edition, 2013), by Penny Simkin, will help build knowledge and confidence for your partner, friend or family member as she or he prepares to offer labor support.
• Comfort Measures for Childbirth, a 91-minute DVD, covers basic relaxation and rhythmic breathing; comfort measures, devices and positions; techniques to help with back pain and labor progress; and positions and techniques for pushing and birth.