Midwives, Obstetricians and Doulas Midwives, Obstetricians and Doulas
What’s the difference, and how do I know which one to choose?
What’s a Midwife?
Midwives are basically the uncomplicated version of an OB/GYN. They are healthcare providers who deal with pregnancy, childbirth, newborn care, postpartum care, and routine women’s care (i.e., pap smears, birth control, pelvic exams).
They tend to take a more holistic approach than your typical OB/GYN, and are usually supportive of mostly unmedicated births or home births.
What’s an Obstetrician?
Obstetricians are physicians who specialize in prenatal care, childbirth, and recent postpartum care. They normally treat medical conditions and perform surgeries during pregnancy and childbirth, if necessary.
OB’s are typically better with a more medically involved pregnancy, such as prenatal screenings, pelvic exams, lab tests, treating health conditions that can affect mother or baby, etc. Some obstetricians have experience and are more equipped to assist with higher risk pregnancies, and are usually better for moms who want a completely medicated birth.
What’s a Doula?
Doulas are a bit more complicated to explain than OB’s and midwives, mostly because there are so many different types. A generic definition would be that a doula is someone who supports their clients through multiple different types of life-changes. Their purpose is to advocate for, support, and guide their clients through whatever situation arises. We will be talking about three specific types of doulas: fertility doula, birth doula, and postpartum doula.
Fertility doulas assist clients in their journey to motherhood. If someone is struggling to get pregnant, a fertility doula might help with fertility education and research, giving referrals for local resources, attending doctors’ appointments with the client, and helping with the client’s mindset.
Birth doulas provide several different kinds of support to mamas during the different stages of pregnancy. They can provide childbirth education, referrals to resources and services, labor and pushings positions, massage, and breathing exercises, listening and encouraging the client, and advocating for the client and their wishes for labor and delivery.
Postpartum doulas provide care specifically for the mother after childbirth. This is helpful, especially in making sure that mamas don’t feel “secondary” after giving birth. Postpartum doulas can help with things like breastfeeding, bathing, swaddling, watching the baby while mamas and daddies rest. They make the transition into parenthood – even transitioning into parenting multiples – easier for everyone.
Doulas are more of a support system to add on to your experience with a midwife or obstetrician. They are there to make sure your pregnancy journey is easier, to make decision-making less complicated, and to make sure your healthcare provider listens to your wants and needs.
How do I know which one is right for me?
First things first, sit down with your birth partner, if you have one, and make some decisions. Would you rather have a medicated birth, or natural? Do you want your partner to be hands-on, or hands-off? Do you want tests done to make sure your baby is okay, or would you rather let your pregnancy journey be as natural and uncomplicated as possible? What do you want your birth plan to look like?
These are questions you want to answer before you make any decisions about which path to take.
Doulas are amazing for support and advocating, so if you think you might need a “medical translator,” or someone to stand up for you while you’re busy pushing out a whole human, then they are a great resource to have. Obstetricians are best if you would rather have a completely medically involved pregnancy. Want the epidural? Want the scheduled C-Section? If you want as many interventions as possible, then you’ll probably want to choose an OB. Midwives are amazing if you would like to have a natural birth, or as natural of a birth as possible. If you want as little interventions as possible, then you’ll probably want to go with a midwife.
So, what’s the tea?
Hopefully, this helped you understand the difference between midwives, obstetricians, and doulas a bit better! The purpose of this article was to help make it easier to choose which prenatal healthcare option is best for you and your journey. If it helped, let us know in the comments! We’d love to hear from mamas!
Written by: Victoria Scarce
What’s the difference, and how do I know which one to choose?
What’s a Midwife?
Midwives are basically the uncomplicated version of an OB/GYN. They are healthcare providers who deal with pregnancy, childbirth, newborn care, postpartum care, and routine women’s care (i.e., pap smears, birth control, pelvic exams).
They tend to take a more holistic approach than your typical OB/GYN, and are usually supportive of mostly unmedicated births or home births.
What’s an Obstetrician?
Obstetricians are physicians who specialize in prenatal care, childbirth, and recent postpartum care. They normally treat medical conditions and perform surgeries during pregnancy and childbirth, if necessary.
OB’s are typically better with a more medically involved pregnancy, such as prenatal screenings, pelvic exams, lab tests, treating health conditions that can affect mother or baby, etc. Some obstetricians have experience and are more equipped to assist with higher risk pregnancies, and are usually better for moms who want a completely medicated birth.
What’s a Doula?
Doulas are a bit more complicated to explain than OB’s and midwives, mostly because there are so many different types. A generic definition would be that a doula is someone who supports their clients through multiple different types of life-changes. Their purpose is to advocate for, support, and guide their clients through whatever situation arises. We will be talking about three specific types of doulas: fertility doula, birth doula, and postpartum doula.
Fertility doulas assist clients in their journey to motherhood. If someone is struggling to get pregnant, a fertility doula might help with fertility education and research, giving referrals for local resources, attending doctors’ appointments with the client, and helping with the client’s mindset.
Birth doulas provide several different kinds of support to mamas during the different stages of pregnancy. They can provide childbirth education, referrals to resources and services, labor and pushings positions, massage, and breathing exercises, listening and encouraging the client, and advocating for the client and their wishes for labor and delivery.
Postpartum doulas provide care specifically for the mother after childbirth. This is helpful, especially in making sure that mamas don’t feel “secondary” after giving birth. Postpartum doulas can help with things like breastfeeding, bathing, swaddling, watching the baby while mamas and daddies rest. They make the transition into parenthood – even transitioning into parenting multiples – easier for everyone.
Doulas are more of a support system to add on to your experience with a midwife or obstetrician. They are there to make sure your pregnancy journey is easier, to make decision-making less complicated, and to make sure your healthcare provider listens to your wants and needs.
How do I know which one is right for me?
First things first, sit down with your birth partner, if you have one, and make some decisions. Would you rather have a medicated birth, or natural? Do you want your partner to be hands-on, or hands-off? Do you want tests done to make sure your baby is okay, or would you rather let your pregnancy journey be as natural and uncomplicated as possible? What do you want your birth plan to look like?
These are questions you want to answer before you make any decisions about which path to take.
Doulas are amazing for support and advocating, so if you think you might need a “medical translator,” or someone to stand up for you while you’re busy pushing out a whole human, then they are a great resource to have. Obstetricians are best if you would rather have a completely medically involved pregnancy. Want the epidural? Want the scheduled C-Section? If you want as many interventions as possible, then you’ll probably want to choose an OB. Midwives are amazing if you would like to have a natural birth, or as natural of a birth as possible. If you want as little interventions as possible, then you’ll probably want to go with a midwife.
So, what’s the tea?
Hopefully, this helped you understand the difference between midwives, obstetricians, and doulas a bit better! The purpose of this article was to help make it easier to choose which prenatal healthcare option is best for you and your journey. If it helped, let us know in the comments! We’d love to hear from mamas!
Written by: Victoria Scarce
