Are you interested in becoming a midwife? Below is some information about how to become a midwife. There’s also information about why many prospective midwifery students choose to start their journey towards midwifery by becoming a birth doula.
Why choose to become a birth doula first?
Many students choose to become a doula first for a few main reasons:
The time commitment. Becoming a doula is quick and easy. You can start serving people as a doula within weeks of enrollment in the IDI doula training program.
The monetary commitment. Becoming a doula only costs less than $800 for one certification compared to midwifery programs which cost many thousands of dollars.
Previewing Birth Attendance. Many students choose to become doulas first so that they can get a preview of what becoming a midwife may actually be like. This gives students a really great opportunity to see if it’s something they really want to pursue.
Assist You in Getting Through Midwifery School: By becoming a certified doula before or during your midwifery schooling, you’re like to find it rewarding and supportive, all while doing what you are passionate about.
What is the difference between a midwife and a birth doula?
A doula provides emotional support, educational support and comfort measures during pregnancy and childbirth, like a birth coach. We provide comfort measures such as touch techniques, positional techniques and relaxation techniques during labor. A doula does not provide any clinical tasks or medical care. Doulas are there by the families’ side from onset of labor until delivery and do not leave their side until baby is born.
A midwife provides medical care during pregnancy and childbirth (as well as well-woman care through the entire woman’s life cycle). A midwife will examine, diagnose and treat the client medically (such as cervical checks, fetal heart tones, blood pressure, etc.), provide minor surgical care such as episiotomy and stitching, aid in the actual birth of the baby and provide prenatal care from the beginning of pregnancy onward. Midwives often have more than one client in labor at a time.