The San Francisco General Hospital Doula Program was first started in the early 80's by Monnie Reba Efross. During the first incarnation of the program, Monnie taught her friends about labor coaching and then brought them to the hospital to help out the patients. As the years passed the program evolved, its presence in the hospital changed and wained. About seven years ago, Monnie was approached by the SFGH midwives to start a more official form of the program. Together with a doula and a local clinical nurse specialist the San Francisco General Hospital Volunteer Doula program was born again in 2005. Since then, our program has grown to include nearly 100 doulas and many, many more supporters. Active Doulas take on one 12 hour shift per month, thus helping us achieve our goal of 24/7 doula care on the Labor and Delivery unit. Our program has also expanded outside the walls of SF General; our doulas and Monnie provide training for aspiring doulas, birth education to the students at Hilltop School in San Francisco and doula support and education to woman at the San Francisco County Jail.