a doula is a support person that is there to help you plan your birth and to help you during labor and delivery. Everyone is different...but, mine came to our house 2x prior to the birth to do something similar to a birth class, discuss different laboring positions, help write a birth plan. I had planned both times to do some laboring at home - first there was some bleeding so she met me right at the hospital (rare placenta condition...don't get worried!) and second there wasn't any time (1 1/2 hour labor) - so she would have come to the house. She was there throughout the whole labor and delivery - to support both jeremy and i, she took pictures, she answered questions, she helped inform people that i didn't want pain meds (we had a secret word that if i really did decide that i wanted them, i could use and she would wait 15 minutes or so before telling the midwife - give me a chance to decide if that was the right thing...), she would run and get food/drink for either of us, etc. it was really nice for me to know that if jeremy couldn't be there...someone that i was really comfortable with, was. also...it's nice to have another woman in there, i think. it was nice to see someone that has gone through this before to have for support. your husband, however amazing he is, will never experience childbirth. since the beginning of time, women have used other women to support them in childbirth. it feels very natural. jeremy also agrees that he would never have another baby without her. it really helped him too.
check out
Childbirth Collective - it's a mn thing...but, they have a lot of info about doulas.
jen