Are you interested in becoming a midwife? Here is some information on how to become a midwife, as well as some information about why many students that are looking into becoming a midwife choose to start their journey towards midwifery by becoming a birth 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 very quick and easy and you can start working within weeks of enrollment in the IDI doula training program.
The monetary commitment. Becoming a doula only costs about $690 compared to midwifery programs which cost many thousands of dollars.
Previewing the profession. 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.
Get you through midwifery school financially. By becoming a certified doula before or during your midwifery schooling, you can start earning money doing what you are passionate about. Your doula income can help you pay for midwifery schooling.
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 there 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 delivery of the baby and provide prenatal care from the beginning of pregnancy onward. Midwives usually have more than one client in labor at a time.