Why would someone planning to deliver in a hospital need a doula? Isn’t that why there is a labor and delivery nurse?

Labor nurses are trained to provide medically sound, knowledge based and extremely competent care in all possible scenarios of birth. Labor nurses manage medications, the labor process to ensure safe practice, physician orders, obstetrical complications, obstetrical emergencies as well as any additional healthcare concerns that a pregnant woman may be experiencing. In contrast, the role of the doula is to be 100% focused on the physical and emotional well being of the woman (and her partner) in labor. While both roles are vital to a successful birth team they are very different and it is important for women to know what kind and how much support they will be receiving.