labor coach
1
3.8
- noun
- /ˈleɪbər koʊtʃ/
- US
:
doula
- I better not call you and you say you're going to miss. "I said I'd be your labor coach."
Examples
-
Her partner acted as her labor coach, providing encouragement and help throughout the birthing process.
-
During labor, it is essential for a woman to have a supportive labor coach by her side.
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But then I remember the labor coach saying, the mother in me would be slow to emerge.
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They know I'm the labor coach, so they let me come too.
Fiction book (1994) -
Many women choose to hire a labor coach to assist them with breathing techniques during childbirth.
Synonyms
9
7.2
A person who gives emotional and practical support to a woman during childbirth
1
5.4
Person who gives comfort and practical help to a woman during childbirth but not medical treatment
A person who supports a woman during childbirth by guiding breathing and relaxation
How Professional
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning is compositionally built from 'labor' (childbirth) + 'coach' (a person who trains or supports), so a learner knowing both words can readily infer this refers to someone who coaches or supports a woman during delivery. This noun-noun compound follows a productive and cross-linguistically common pattern, making the sense immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Labor coach uses the image of a sports coach helping someone through hard work, and the word labor means the work of giving birth. So a labor coach stands with the mother, guides breathing and positions, and 'supports' her during birth.