Introduction
In maternity care, skilled professionals are essential to ensure the well-being of both mother and child. Two roles in this domain are midwives and doulas. Their roles and responsibilities are different. Every new mother needs someone to help them care for their child. The doula helps the mother during labor, before and after childbirth. They do not help in the childbirth process. A doula is non-professional, and midwives are experienced medical healthcare professionals. The article describes the roles, training, and services doulas and midwives offer. By understanding the roles and responsibilities of each, expectant mother and their families can make an informed decision. The article also discusses their roles, responsibilities, and benefits.
What Is a Doula?
A doula is an experienced non-medical practitioner. They provide support to the expectant mother and their families. The support can be physical, emotional, and informational. The support can be provided before, during, or after the delivery of the child. The doula is a Greek word which means a woman who serves. The role has been associated with women in past decades, but today it encompasses people of all genders. They also provide services to the expectant mother, such as massage, breathing technique support, and assistance with labor positions.
What Is a Midwife?
A midwife is an experienced and well-trained practitioner specializing in women's health during pregnancy, childbirth, and after delivery. They help the expectant mother throughout their pregnancy life. They are trained like mid-wife nurses. They usually find and guide the expectant mother who wants the services of a gynecologist during childbirth.
Types of Midwives:
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Certified Nurse Midwives (CNMs): They are trained practitioners like nurses. After training like nurses, they go for a graduation in nurse-midwifery. After passing a graduation program, they can work in the hospital sector and work like other obstetricians do.
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Certified Professionals Midwives (CPMs): The CPM people are trained in a midwifery program. The training needs to be more professional than CNM. CPM people work in-hospital and out-hospital settings. They go to the birth centers and help with home childbirth. They are NCCA-accredited (National Commission of Certifying Agencies) midwifery people. So that they can work only out of the hospital.
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Certified Midwives (CMs): The American College of nurse-midwives offers this certification. These types of midwives do a graduation program only; they do go to nursing school.
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Traditional Midwives (TMs): The other names for traditional midwives are community midwives or lay midwives. They need to be trained and with certification. They are working midwives in society or communities.
What Are the Roles and Responsibilities of a Doula?
The role and responsibilities of a doula are as follows:
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Emotional Support: They provide emotional support. A doula emotionally encourages, reassures, and provides a calm presence to the expectant mother. Emotional support is provided throughout the labor and childbirth. They listen to the expectant mother's fears, concerns, and preferences and help overcome these issues.
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Physical Support: They offer physical support to the expectant mother. Various comfort measures can provide support. The techniques providing physical support are breathing exercises, massage, and positioning that prevent discomfort during labor.
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Informational Support: They educate the expectant mother and their family members about the process of childbirth, stages of labor, and clinical procedures with different options. This will help in ensuring informed decision-making. The pregnant mother can also ask about their doubts and concerns, which will help get evidence-based information and assist in decision-making.
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Advocacy: They help in facilitating communication with healthcare professionals. They also communicate with the pregnant mother, their partner, family members, and the medical healthcare team to promote proper care.
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Empowerment and Reassurance: They will help boost the confidence of the pregnant mother. They ensure the pregnant mother is positive during childbirth and remind them of their strength.
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Labor Environment Management: They create a calm and conducive environment during childbirth. This can be provided by adjusting light and temperature according to the pregnant mother's preferences.
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Postpartum Support: The guide the mother with breastfeeding, postpartum recovery, and child care. They also help with household chores and provide emotional support.
What Are the Roles and Responsibilities of a Midwife?
The roles and responsibilities of a midwife are described below:
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Prenatal Care: They help with the regular health check-ups of the pregnant mother and monitor the health of the expectant mother and their fetus. They guide the pregnant mother in exercising and nutrition, making them and their child healthy.
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Labor and Birth Assistance: During labor and childbirth, the midwives provide continuous support by monitoring the vital signs of the expectant mother. They will also help during delivery and guide in providing pain management techniques and birthing positions.
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Medical Assessment and Interventions: They conduct diagnostic techniques, such as ultrasound, blood tests, and prenatal examinations. They will also help in medical treatments, such as administration of intravenous fluids, managing pain relief methods, and suturing perineal tears.
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Postpartum Care: After delivery, midwives provide postpartum care. This can be done by postpartum health check-ups, guiding breastfeeding, newborn care, and monitoring of physical recovery.
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Educational Support: They educate the pregnant mother, partner, and family members about delivery, breastfeeding, and postpartum care. So that they can make an informed decision associated with birthing preferences.
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Holistic Approach: Midwives consider the emotional, psychological, and cultural needs of the pregnant mother and their family.
What Are the Benefits of a Doula and a Midwife?
The benefits of a doula and a midwife are as follows:
Benefits of a Doula:
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The presence of a doula can lead to shorter childbirth durations.
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They can provide a calm and comfortable environment during birthing, influencing the overall birth experience.
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A doula's emotional and physical support will help reduce stress and anxiety. It will help create a more relaxing and soothing environment during the birthing process.
Benefits of a Midwife:
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They provide personalized care, which focuses on the needs and preferences of the expectant mother.
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They help in natural childbirth and medical treatments and provide patient education.
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The help of a midwife is associated with a decreased rate of cesarean sections.
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They are cost-effective.
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They are associated with a lower rate of medical interventions during birthing.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the doula and midwife help in the maternity care. They provide support during pregnancy, delivery, and after delivery. They prioritize the vaginal childbirth and minimize cesarean deliveries. They also limit the use of costly medical interventions. They offer physical and emotional support to the pregnant mother. They educate the pregnant mother, their partner, and their families, which will help them make informed decision-making.
