Birth isn’t always like the movies. If it was, you’d believe that all birth started with your water breaking publicly followed by a mad rush to the hospital, a few deep breaths, a scream or two, and then—voila!—a baby in your arms. Sometimes, unfortunately, labor is long. Sometimes it can be really long, lasting days. It’s during those drawn-out moments or when you are in the throes of labor that’s a lot longer than you expected, that having a birth doula by your side can make or break your birth experience.