The Incubator #328 - What a Doula Really Does: Latoya Southwell on Trust, Advocacy, and Healing
In this episode of The Incubator Podcast, Ben and Daphna sit down with certified birth doula and lactation counselor Latoya Southwell for a wide-ranging conversation about the role doulas play in supporting families before, during, and after birth. LaToya shares her personal and professional path into birth work, and how her experiences shaped a culturally sensitive, trauma-informed approach to supporting laboring people—particularly those from historically marginalized communities.
The conversation covers what doulas do (and don’t do), how they differ from midwives, and how they advocate for safe, informed, and emotionally grounded birth experiences. LaToya talks candidly about how she prepares clients for unexpected outcomes, including C-sections and NICU admissions, and how doulas can collaborate with healthcare teams rather than be in conflict with them.
She also introduces the Baby Café initiative—an informal peer support network she co-founded to reduce isolation and provide postpartum support for new mothers—and explains why preparing families for postpartum is just as critical as planning for labor.
This episode is a practical introduction to the real work of birth doulas—and an invitation to rethink how care teams can work together to improve outcomes and experiences for parents and babies alike.
As always, feel free to send us questions, comments, or suggestions to our email: nicupodcast@gmail.com. You can also contact the show through Instagram or Twitter, @nicupodcast. Or contact Ben and Daphna directly via their Twitter profiles: @drnicu and @doctordaphnamd. The papers discussed in today's episode are listed and timestamped on the webpage linked below.
Enjoy!