. >> reporter: mary powell thomas is the director of the by my side birth support program.was established through a federal grant 3 1/2 years ago when health care professionals wanted to address a troubling trend. many women were showing up tots hospital alone when they were ready to deliver. so far this program has helped more than 240 women give birth. >> it became clear that it was really helpful to have a woman who was experienced in childbirth who could be there to support the woman. >> but why a doula? why not concentrate on giving the woman more support through her doctor? >> in a lot of cases, the doctor comes in at the last minute to deliver the baby or maybe comes in a few times to check on the woman but then goes off to do other things. we have doulas who, you know, arrive in the morning and they meet the morning nurse and then the night nurse and then the morning nurse comes back the next day and the doula is still there. >> traditionally, women birth with other women. the village comes around when a woman's laboring. she has her mother, her grandmother, her sis