Doula vs. Midwife Explained: Plus 10 Questions to Ask When Interviewing a Birth Doula
Kristin Revere, MM, CED, NCS, Owner & Founder of Gold Coast Doulas
One of the most common questions I get from potential clients is about the role of a birth doula compared to a midwife. While both doulas and midwives play vital roles in guiding you through childbirth, their expertise and responsibilities differ in multiple ways.
What a Doula Does
A birth doula is a non-medical professional who provides emotional, physical, and informational support throughout pregnancy, labor, and immediately after the birth. Doulas offer comfort measures like massage, position suggestions, encouragement, and resources, ensuring you feel heard and supported, but we don’t perform medical tasks like delivering babies, prescribing medications, or monitoring the health of the mother and baby.
In a quote from Exploring the Rising Need for Doulas and How Their Care Transforms Family Experiences with Bianca Sprague of Bebo Mia on the Ask the Doulas Podcast, Bianca says it perfectly - “I mean, your doula is really this combination best friend and walking Wikipedia in your pocket at all times.”
What a Midwife Does
Midwives, specifically nurse midwives (CNM) are medically trained healthcare providers who offer a full range of care throughout pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. According to our blog, “Birth Doula vs Midwife: Here’s What Each Does” , the term midwife means “with women”. Midwives manage clinical aspects like ordering tests, monitoring labor, delivering babies, and addressing normal to moderately complex pregnancies.
Why You Can and Often Should Hire Both
Doulas and midwives complement one another beautifully. Research shows continuous doula support leads to shorter labors, fewer interventions (like cesareans or forceps), less use of pain medication, and higher satisfaction after delivery regardless of your primary health care provider.
Midwives handle the medical side; doulas ensure you have emotional support, reassurance, and physical support. The birth and midwife team can transform your birth experience into something deeply empowering.
10 Questions to Ask When Interviewing a Birth Doula
When interviewing potential doulas, these questions can help you find someone aligned with your values, personality, and birth preferences
Where did you train to become a doula? Are you certified? Ensure they’ve completed a recognized doula training and are current with continuing education.
Can you describe your doula philosophy? What is your doula superpower? This helps you get a feel for who the doula is and what they stand for.
What birth settings do you support? Ask if they’re experienced in your birthing environment of choice. Are you delivering at home, in a birth center, or in the hospital? Do they have experience in that setting or at that particular hospital?
How many births do you attend per month? Do you have a backup in case of illness or emergency? How do you choose your backup? What is their training and experience? What happens if your backup is at a birth or is ill? This helps gauge their availability and focus during your labor.
How will you communicate with me? Do I have access to you by text, phone, and email during pregnancy? How many prenatal visits and postpartum visits are included in your package?
How will you support my partner during the labor? If there are other family members or friends, how will the doula support them. How do they work with your care team? A doula supports both their client and the partner during labor. They should also work well with your healthcare team.
What happens if I deliver early or past the estimated due date? When are you on call for me? Some doulas don’t begin call until 38 weeks. It is important to understand the call schedule and what happens if the labor is long or moves quickly.
How do you handle unexpected changes, like unplanned interventions or an unplanned cesarean birth? Their adaptability in evolving situations can significantly impact your experience.
Can you share testimonials, references, or a memorable birth you've attended?
First-hand stories or client feedback can help you see how they connect with families.What is included in your fee?
Clarify exactly what you get for the fee. Does it include prenatal visits, labor/delivery in-person support, postpartum follow-up visit/s, resources, etc. Is there an hourly rate if the labor goes above a certain number of hours? Are there any other add-ons like photography with your packages?
In Conclusion
Doulas and midwives each bring unique expertise to your birth experience. While midwives focus on monitoring the health of the mother and baby, doulas focus on physical support, coaching, and offering informational support.
By asking thoughtful questions during interviews, you’ll find a doula who feels like a natural part of your birth and baby dream team. If you’re interested in learning more about Gold Coast Doulas, here are some great resources I recommend-
Are you interviewing a postpartum doula? Check out my tips on my Ask the Doula Substack 5 Questions Every Parent Should Ask When Hiring a Night Doula
Listen to my tips on preparing for childbirth outside of classes in my Ask the Doulas podcast episode Childbirth Prep When You Don't Want to Take a Class
Read more doula interview tips in my book, “Supported: Your Guide to Birth and Baby” at this link www.supportedbook.com
I hope this helps you confidently choose and interview a birth doula who feels right for your journey!
Kristin Revere is the owner and founder of Gold Coast Doulas in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She is an elite certified birth doula, a newborn care specialist, a childbirth educator, and an elite certified postpartum doula. She is the co-author of "Supported: Your Guide to Birth and Baby" and host of Ask the Doulas. She is a mom of two and a bonus mom of one.