The Goodwin Volunteer Doula Project is a voluntary project set up within the auspices of the Goodwin Development Trust. The word 'doula' is a Greek word meaning 'woman servant' but has now come to mean a woman who offers emotional and physical support to women before, during and after childbirth.
The aim of our project is to:
1. Train, nurture and support local women to become volunteer doulas, ensuring they feel supported, valued, involved and listened to.
2. Provide non judgemental, consistent and tailored support for isolated and vulnerable women and their families throughout the latter stages of pregnancy, childbirth and for the first 6 weeks of family life.
3. Enthusiastically promote the benefits of natural birth and breastfeeding to ensure these women have knowledge around all options available to them, feel empowered to make their own decisions and therefore have the best possible birth outcome and the healthiest possible start in life for their children.
4. Build links between midwifery services and the voluntary and community sector developing positive working relationships to ensure the best possible birth outcomes for these women.
5. Listen to the needs of local women from disadvantaged communities, ensuring we are meeting these needs.
