Many already know that birth plans are incredibly personal for moms-to-be, but these 20 celebrities shared that they had doulas when they gave birth, helping to destigmatize alternative birth options. In recent years, the doula craze has really caught on, but some celebs have been using these birth partners for much longer than the trend has existed.
Doulas are there to emotionally support the laboring mom, help her feel more comfortable, and advocate for her to the doctors and nurses if the birth is taking place in a hospital. Aside from cost, there are basically no downsides to having a doula present during labor. And since money is no object for these A-listers, they opted to have a doula at their side. And most of them raved about the experience afterward. Here are 20 doula stories from the celeb moms themselves.
Teyana Taylor
Bekah Martinez
The Bachelor star recently gave birth to her second child and raved about having a doula on her Instagram Stories. "Having even just a few hours of help so you can relax postpartum makes a HUGE difference," Bekah said, encouraging moms-to-be to put doula expenses on their registry. "It'll be way more valuable than any fancy stroller or bassinet, I promise you."
LeToya Luckett
The singer was one celeb who wasn't sure she wanted a doula. "At first I thought it was just a trendy L.A. thing," she told Essence before eventually reconsidering. "I knew I was strong enough to do this on my own, but thought I would love to be guided through this process and make it even more beautiful than it already is," she added.
Kelly Rowland
LeToya's fellow Destiny's Child band member Kelly Rowland is the one who recommended a doula to LeToya in the first place. Kelly used famed doula-to-the-stars Lori Bregman for her own son's birth. In a testimonial for Lori's site, Kelly wrote, "I feel so blessed to have had her loving support throughout my entire pregnancy and birth. … She made me feel SO relaxed and READY for birth, she dismissed all FEAR and gave me FOCUS a focus of LOVE! She is still my friend to this day!"
Kate Hudson
Actress Kate Hudson is another of Lori Bregman's clients. "I've known Lori Bregman for 20 years. She has always been a good friend and helped support me through all of my pregnancies," Kate wrote for the doula's website. "It was beautiful to have her support for my pregnancy and birth. We were grateful to have such a nurturing and knowledgeable friend in the room with us on the big day."
DJ Khaled's wife
Nicole Tuck used a different famous celeb doula for son Asahd Khaled's birth in 2016. Per BET, Latham Thomas, founder of doula and maternity lifestyle brand Mama Glow, helped Nicole throughout her pregnancy and up through birth. "It was a pleasure and honor to support Nicole and Khaled, and it's amazing to be on the other side and visit with Asahd, who just celebrated his first birthday," Latham said to BET in 2017.
Tamera Mowry-Housley
Tamera dedicated an entire episode of her show Tia & Tamera to her birth plan. It was called "Doula Right Thing." Tamera also used doula Latham Thomas. Basically, celebs have two doula options: Latham Thomas or Lori Bregman. Sure, some have used others, but those are the most high-profile doulas for the stars.
