What’s the difference between a midwife and a doula?
Midwives are primary caregivers who make clinical decisions and give medical advice. They provide prenatal care, deliver the baby, and provide post-partum care of the mother and newborn. The midwife is responsible for the safety of mother and baby. Certified doulas do not provide any kind of medical care. Doulas provide emotional and physical support for the laboring woman and her family and/or post-partum care of the mother and baby. Doula care has been shown to improve outcomes for both moms and babies in many studies.
