"The words of support, the welcoming glances": women's experiences of assistance provided by doulas

This study aims to describe the experience of women facing the support promoted by doula. Exploratory descriptive, qualitative research, using semi-structured interviews, initiated in a pioneer institution offering general care and maternity support, located in the municipality of Fortaleza- CE, in the period of August and September 2018, with 10 women selected through the snowball technique. The research took place through Bardin's content analysis. The women had an average age of 33 years and family income of 3 to 20 minimum wages. All of them had a college degree, and eight were married. Three thematic categories were established: doula-parturient relationship, good birth practices, and family birth. The role of doulas during maternity events expands the knowledge and development of women's role in society, ensuring that women gain more autonomy, becoming protagonists in power relations, and making conscious choices for themselves. It also increases women's adherence to natural childbirth, strengthening the humanization of birth in the face of the institutionalization of childbirth. Moreover, the presence of the doula restrained attitudes on the part of professionals regarding changes in the birth plan.