My Doula oblongata

Doula: dou·la/Doo-luh/ –noun, plural -las.
a woman who assists women during labor and after childbirth.
[Origin: 1975–80; < Mod Gk, female servant]

Who knew a person like this existed? This is definitely a new word for us. I hadn't actually considered a doula until I realized that my support network is kinda limited. Even still, it was a vague notion. A friend of mine hired a doula for his wife's birth and said it was money well spent, that's when a notion became something to really look into. So in addition to trying to find a class, I'm considering trying to find a doula.