Spoiler alert: BOTH doulas and midwives are your best option!

When expecting parents prepare for childbirth, they often think about who will be on their “birth team.” We encourage each family to consider two key support roles: doulas and midwives.  While both provide valuable services, their roles and responsibilities are very distinct. Here’s a quick look at the differences between these two essential roles in the birthing process.

(Please note: If you are high risk, please consult with an OB for your medical care.)

Doulas: Emotional, Informational, and Physical Support

Doulas are trained professionals who provide non-medical support to parents before, during, and after childbirth. Their main goal is to ensure the parents feel safe, informed, and supported throughout their journey.

Key Responsibilities of Doulas:

  1. Emotional Support: Doulas offer constant reassurance and encouragement. They are trained to provide a calming presence and emotional comfort during labor.
  2. Physical Comfort: Doulas utilize various techniques such as massage, breathing exercises, and positioning to help manage pain and discomfort during labor.
  3. Information: They provide evidence-based information to help parents make informed decisions about their childbirth experience. This includes explaining medical procedures and interventions in an understandable way.
  4. Advocacy: Doulas advocate for the parents’ wishes and birth goals, ensuring their voices are heard and respected in the delivery room.
  5. Postpartum Care: Some doulas offer postpartum services, helping new parents adjust to life with a newborn and providing support with breastfeeding and newborn care. All of our labor doulas also provide one post-birth wrap up visit to review your birth experience. 

Midwives: Medical and Clinical Support

Midwives are healthcare professionals who provide comprehensive care throughout pregnancy, labor, and the postpartum period. They are trained to handle normal, low-risk pregnancies and births and can perform many of the same medical procedures as doctors. Midwives attend births at home and at hospitals. 

Key Responsibilities of Midwives:

  1. Medical Care: Midwives conduct routine prenatal exams, monitor the health of the mother and baby, and provide medical support during labor and delivery.
  2. Labor and Delivery Management: They are skilled in managing the birth process, including handling complications and performing interventions when necessary.
  3. Prescribing Medications: Some midwives can prescribe medications. All midwives can order tests and perform birth procedures. 
  4. Holistic Approach: Midwives often take a holistic approach to care, focusing on the physical, emotional, and psychological well-being of the mother.
  5. Postpartum Care: They provide follow-up care after birth, ensuring that both the mother and baby are healthy and adjusting well.

Choosing the Right Support

Of course we’re biased, but we really encourage parents to add a doula to their birth team so they have a full support system for one of the most important days of their lives. For more information on the science and evidence behind having a doula on your birth team, please visit Evidence Based Birth. 

We would love to share more about our labor/birth doula support. Please contact us today via our contact form or email: katie@theiowababylady.com.