Blog

Posted on 16 May 2012 by Sarah and has 0 Comment




What is the difference between a Doula and a Midwife?




This weekend, as I was trying to explain to my uncle that a doula was not like a midwife, my dad tried to tell him that it is similar.  I am going to post a chart comparing what a doula is to what a midwife is since there seems to be some confusion.  Doulas provide non- medical physical and emotional support.  Midwives would be more closely compared to an OB in that they are responsible for the health of the mother and baby and assist in the birth.  It is true that midwives often act like a doula when they provide emotional support during labor but this is not their primary job.  On the other side, doulas do not and should not perform tasks that belong to a midwife such as assessing cervical change or even taking fetal heart tones. This is out of a doula’s scope of practice.  Alright, here is the chart.                                                                                                                           

Certification:                       DoulaChildbirth International, D.O.N.A (Doulas of North America), and C.A.P.P.A                          MidwifeNorth American Registry of Midwives & American College of Nurse Midwives.
Salary: $300 to $1000 depending on factors like cost of living, employer, credentials, experience. $90,000 as a base salary respect to change according to the employer, experience of the midwife etc.
Etymology: Ancient Greek doulē, meaning female slave Middle English Mid meaning with & Old English wif meaning woman.
Types: Prenatal, Childbirth and Postpartum Doulas. Direct-entry midwives & Certified nurse-midwives.
Duties: Prenatal Doula aids with chores before the birth of the child. Childbirth Doula helps the mother during labor and childbirth. Postpartum Doula offers services after the child is born. Aids with preventive measures, the promotion of normal birth, the detection of complications in mother and child, accessing of medical or other appropriate assistance and the carrying out of emergency measures.
Definition: A doula is an assistant who provides physical as well as emotional support during childbirth. She helps women in a non-medical capacity. A midwife is a qualified professional from an institution of her country, which enables her to help a pregnant woman indelivering a baby.





Leave a Reply