Doulas and midwives: their roles in 12 points
Detailed contents
- What's the difference between a doula and a midwife?
- Can you have a doula AND a midwife?
- What exactly does a doula do, and what does a midwife do, during pregnancy and birth?
- What are the benefits of having a doula with you?
- How do you access a midwife or a doula in Quebec?
- How do you choose your doula or your midwife?
- What are the 12 key points to remember about the complementary roles of doulas and midwives?
What's the difference between a doula and a midwife?
I'm often asked about the differences between a doula and a midwife, two key professionals in childbirth support, and how they complement each other.
Here's what makes each of them distinctive, to help you understand their roles better:
- The midwife is a qualified health professional who provides medical follow-up throughout pregnancy, attends the birth and provides postnatal care. She can make diagnoses, prescribe certain treatments and perform medical procedures. Her practice is governed by specific protocols and she often works in collaboration with the hospital network.
- The doula , on the other hand, is not a health professional. Her role is to provide emotional, physical and informational support to the family before, during and after the birth. She performs no medical acts, but offers a continuous, reassuring and personalized presence throughout pregnancy, the birth and even the postpartum period.
Did you know?
The Ysé Naissance doulas can round out your pregnancy care; they offer a complete support to get ready and be fully informed of the steps and paperwork to plan for.
Can you have a doula AND a midwife?
Absolutely! In Quebec (and elsewhere), it is entirely possible to work with a midwife AND a doula at the same time. That combination lets you benefit from comprehensive, personalized care, both medically and emotionally.
Here's how it usually works:
- The midwife monitors how the pregnancy is progressing, carries out the regular check-ups, manages the birth safely and provides postnatal follow-up.
- The doula offers listening sessions, tools to better manage emotions and pain during labour, perinatal education, practical support, and continuous support (sometimes even at home or in hospital).
What exactly does a doula do, and what does a midwife do, during pregnancy and birth?
| Profession | Pregnancy | Childbirth | Postpartum |
|---|---|---|---|
| Doula | Listening to your fears, rituals, emotional support, mental preparation, education, personalized advice | Continuous presence, massage, natural pain management, encouragement, helpful positions, support for the partner | Emotional support, breastfeeding help, resources, coming home, reassurance, bonding |
| Midwife | Complete medical follow-up, examinations, prescriptions, risk detection, professional advice | Medical care, obstetric procedures, safety for mom and baby, respect for your birth plan | Health care, monitoring the baby, tracking the mother's physical health, medical assessments |
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What are the benefits of having a doula with you?
Doula support offers many benefits confirmed by scientific research :
💜 Continuous presence: a doula doesn't leave the birthing room, however long labour lasts (if you want her with you for the birth)
✨ Less stress: her presence eases anxiety and fear of childbirth, and encourages the hormones that help.
🕰️ Shorter labour: births are often quicker.
💉 Fewer medical interventions: a documented drop in the use of epidurals and in caesarean births.
🤱 Breastfeeding support: moms get practical and emotional help with getting breastfeeding established.
👨👩👧👦 Including the partner: your partner is supported, involved and reassured too.
How do you access a midwife or a doula in Quebec?
Demand for personalized support keeps growing. Here are the steps to take to access each of these two types of support:
- For a midwife : midwifery services are public, free and available in most regions through birth centres. However, demand is high and it's best to apply as early in your pregnancy as possible.
- For a doula : doula support is offered on a private basis, reimbursed by insurance and rates vary. The directory of the ANPQ lists doulas whose services may be reimbursed by insurance.
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How do you choose your doula or your midwife?
A few tips for making an informed choice:
👐 Meet several people: chemistry, trust and good communication are essential. Don't hesitate to meet a few doulas and talk to several midwives.
🔎 Check training and experience: for midwives, anyone in practice must be a member of l'Ordre des sages-femmes du Québec. For doulas, experience, ongoing training and listening skills are worth checking.
🧘🏼 Match your choice to your needs: are you looking for support with complementary medicine, breastfeeding, conscious parenting or working through fears?
💃 Ask for references: feedback from other families is precious! At Ysé Naissance, we publish genuine reviews.
What are the 12 key points to remember about the complementary roles of doulas and midwives?
1. The doula and the midwife have clearly distinct roles (non-medical vs medical support).
2. Their collaboration is allowed and encouraged, for a well-rounded birth experience.
3. The doula provides a continuous presence with a proven track record.
4. The midwife safeguards medical safety while respecting the physiology of birth.
5. Working with both makes stress and pain easier to manage.
6. Doula support lowers the risk of unnecessary medical intervention.
7. Scientific studies show real benefits for parents' emotional well-being.
8. The doula adapts her support to the family's culture and values.
9. The midwife can practise in a birth centre, at home or even in hospital.
10. Midwifery services are public in Quebec, unlike doula support, which is usually private.
11. Your partner is valued by both approaches, never pushed aside.
12. Surrounding yourself with the right team from early in pregnancy lets you anticipate your needs and secure your birth plan, as offered by Ysé Naissance
Remember that every pregnancy is unique
Choosing a birth doula can make all the difference to how you experience becoming a parent.
Find all of the childbirth preparation services on offer as well as the reviews families supported by the Ysé Naissance team ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
