FAQs

What’s the difference between a doula and a midwife?

A midwife is a trained medical professional, trained in a clinical setting to meet women's healthcare needs. In short, a midwife directs your medical care and delivers the baby.

A doula supports your physical, emotional, and informational needs to make sure you are well-informed, confident, and comfortable throughout the process.

If I have a supportive partner, do I need a doula?

A doula can never take the place of a partner or husband in labor. The goal is to assist in every way possible to complement and enhance the experience for both mother and partner. Most partners play an active role in the birth process, however, some prefer to enjoy the delivery without standing in as the labor coach or feeling the pressure to remember all they learned in the child birth education class.

A doula is there to guide you both through the process by providing reassurance, affirmation and timely information, while allowing you the space to enjoy the intimacy and bonding that occurs in the birth experience.

How is a doula helpful if I plan on an epidural?

A doula supports your pain management decisions. With an epidural, we 1) provide comfort measures, as even with medication there are typically varying degrees of discomfort, 2) help you to understand and deal with unforeseen side effects, and 3) use laboring techniques designed specifically to shorten labor and avoid extra interventions.