The Philadelphia Alliance for Labor Support (PALS) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping those in the community have a positive birth experience.
It was started in 1998 by Penn Nursing students and has since expanded to include community members, birth professionals, and all University of Pennsylvania students. Our doulas provide free labor support services including physical, emotional, and informational support, and we provide subsidized training to those wishing to become doulas.
We have working relationships with the Hospital at the University of Pennsylvania. However, we work independently and for the sole benefit of our individual clients.
Our Mission
Philadelphia Alliance for Labor Support (PALS) is a group of doulas committed to improving birth experiences and outcomes in the Philadelphia area, as well as promoting the development of new and experienced doulas.
We provide doula services, free of charge, to people who would otherwise be unable to access doula care.
Anyone and everyone can benefit from working with a doula!
Doulas provide emotional support in labor, which can shorten first-time labor, reduce the need for a cesarean section, reduce the use of drugs to stimulate labor, reduce requests for epidurals, and reduce the need for forceps to assist birth.
Here’s a great article summing up the current research on the benefits of working with a doula: https://evidencebasedbirth.com/the-evidence-for-doulas/