Redheaded Jill

I grew up reading about midwives in historical fiction. They were essentially women with vast knowledge and experience in helping to deliver babies. I think it was even looked down on as something beneath the skill of a doctor. Why waste your time on births if even a woman could do it? Doctors were needed to cure diseases and heal the sick etc…

These days midwives are more of a recognized medical profession. I think it’s something akin to a nurse practitioner, or a nurse with a specialty and advanced education in labor and delivery.

There are two main types of midwives. 1: Certified Direct Entry Midwives and 2: Certified Nurse Midwives. Obviously CNMs are nurses first who then train as midwives earning a masters degree. Direct Entry Midwives may have different titles, but they obtain an associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree.

Midwives can do a lot of what doctors do including wellness exams, prenatal care, prescribe meds, catch a baby after delivery, stitch tears, resuscitate a baby, order an epidural and more. They often can’t provide care beyond the first six weeks of postpartum. They are trained to deal with various complications from birth and manage emergencies.

So what is a doula? I always thought they were the same thing until a friend started training as one. Midwives focus on the birth and safety of the baby, while doulas focus on the mother.

The word “doula” is actually Greek for “woman’s servant”. A birth doula is someone who is assisting you throughout birth, focusing on the comfort of the mom. Non-medical care. (The info I’m sharing here is from healthline.com.) They help the mother move into comfortable positions or offer massages. They act as an advocate and emotional support for mom. They empower you. A doula might have tons of practical experience, but it’s not likely they’re trained in medicine.

A postpartum doula is someone who helps new parents. They help the mom recover from birth, offer lactation support and infant care.

My friend told me she wanted to be a doula because she wanted to offer new moms the support she never received. In Korea you can go to a center immediately after birth where they will care for you and provide you nutrition, exercise, infant care and more for the month after birth. Some people hire live in doulas or nannies to help with the home during the first month postpartum.

I have seen stories where women (doulas, nannies) move in and help care for other children so the parents can focus on the new baby. They cook nutritious meals to help the mom recover and heal, replacing the nutrition lost form 9 months of nourishing and growing a new life. It’s something that used to be common practice and the family would provide this support to new mothers.

Now days so many women do things on their own, or without much help. It’s part of why I think we have this culture of moms who are constantly burnt out and hanging on by a thread.

If I were having a baby tomorrow I know exactly who I’d want around me and where I’d want to be giving birth.