Having a Doula, but not a midwife

[emma1325]

Is it possible to pay a doula to attend, but not a midwife?

The doula would be there to offer hands-off support (as far as the actual delivery goes), to help clean up afterwards, and most importantly, to assist in the event of an emergency (in which case we would negotiate a higher fee if she ends up assisting more than we'd planned).

Are doulas legally inclined to attend births alone? Has anyone here ever done this?

We are thinking about TTC soon, and I'm entertaining the idea of having an unassisted birth. But my husband would like a professional there "just in case".

[Otterella]

Many doulas I know would be reluctant to attend a UC, even if they are supportive of UC in general. I would do it, but only if I was confident they understood the role of a doula, and only with an additional waiver stating that the client is aware I am a lay person, not a medical professional, and I am not qualified in neonatal resuscitation, etc. If I felt they had any expectations beyond the same support I would provide to a hospital or midwife-attended homebirth, I would be very reticent to take them as a client. If you are looking for a doula just to be there as your labor support, you will probably be able to find one who will be willing to do a UC. But if you are looking for someone to be there "just in case" of an emergency, a doula is the wrong choice. If you are dead set against a midwife, I would suggest finding a monitrice rather than a doula.

[Tulafina]

Originally Posted by Otterella

Many doulas I know would be reluctant to attend a UC, even if they are supportive of UC in general. I would do it, but only if I was confident they understood the role of a doula, and only with an additional waiver stating that the client is aware I am a lay person, not a medical professional, and I am not qualified in neonatal resuscitation, etc. If I felt they had any expectations beyond the same support I would provide to a hospital or midwife-attended homebirth, I would be very reticent to take them as a client. If you are looking for a doula just to be there as your labor support, you will probably be able to find one who will be willing to do a UC. But if you are looking for someone to be there "just in case" of an emergency, a doula is the wrong choice. If you are dead set against a midwife, I would suggest finding a monitrice rather than a doula.

I am a doula planning to have a UC with this babe and I would attend a UC myself...but only if the labouring couple understood that I am in no way trained to help with birth emergencies.
Can I ask what you mean by "just in case"??

[womenswisdom]

Doulas are not generally able to help in the event of an emergency unless they have some kind of additional training. That's what a midwife is trained to do. Most doulas attend a weekend workshop, do some reading and attend some births as part of their training and are not qualified to do neonatal resusitation, manage a hemorrhage or handle any other kind of emergency (eta - or even recognize that an emergency is occurring or about to occur). Some doulas will attend a UC to offer non-medical labor support and they will make it very clear that they don't and can't perform medical care of any kind to prevent any kind of misunderstanding.

[Banana731]

I think the pp have said it about as well I could. I agree, it sounds like a doula may not be what you're dh is looking for.

[lotusma]

i would tend to think it's all about personal preference. i'm considering having a doula friend of mine attend my upcoming UC, and she loves the idea of helping. i actually prefer an experienced doula over a licensed midwife (if i had to choose) because i hate the idea of 1, having to follow arbitrary and unrealistic state mandated protocols, and 2, putting someones professional license, and therefore their livelihood on the line as a result.

that said, many birth assistants work as doulas on the side (and vice versa) and have emergency training from working alongside preceptor midwives. that may also be an option worth considering.

[clovergirl]

for me, if one of the reasons i was going to hire someone to be there was to help out in the event of an emergency, i would want a midwife. most doulas are trained in labor support, not emergency care. a doula would be a great option to be an extra set of hands during the labor and birth (thinking fetching drinks, towels, etc.) and help clean up afterward. i think it would be out of their scope of care to expect them expect them to be able to assist in a true emergency. like someone else said though, you may be able to find a doula who is a midwife in training who may have more experience. whether or not they would be willing to attend the birth given the circumstances... that's the question. doesn't hurt to ask though.

[emma1325]

Thanks everyone!

Yes, by "just in case" I meant an emergency situation. I was not aware that many doulas are not trained for those types of situations...I was under the impression that they were. Thanks for clearing that up for me.

[jessica_anne010]

I just had a UC in May. My best friend is a doula & was here for the birth. She was wonderful during labor & birth (didn't do anything midwifey - just great moral support), but I was really glad that she was here when I had to transfer for a retained placenta. With her here we were able to leave the baby while my husband & I transferred. Then she brought the baby up to me at the hospital. So in that aspect of "just in case" it was nice to have another adult here. My husband also enjoyed her presence during the birth so he could ask her if things were normal. You can read his Man's Guide to Home Birth to see what I mean.

[emma1325]

Originally Posted by jessica_anne010

I just had a UC in May. My best friend is a doula & was here for the birth. She was wonderful during labor & birth (didn't do anything midwifey - just great moral support), but I was really glad that she was here when I had to transfer for a retained placenta. With her here we were able to leave the baby while my husband & I transferred. Then she brought the baby up to me at the hospital. So in that aspect of "just in case" it was nice to have another adult here. My husband also enjoyed her presence during the birth so he could ask her if things were normal. You can read his Man's Guide to Home Birth to see what I mean.

Thank you. That is one of the sorts of "what if"'s we worry about. We don't have any family in the area, and we have 2 other children. If I or the baby had to be rushed to the ER, it would be much easier with another trusting adult in the house.

[jessica_anne010]

Originally Posted by emma1325

Thank you. That is one of the sorts of "what if"'s we worry about. We don't have any family in the area, and we have 2 other children. If I or the baby had to be rushed to the ER, it would be much easier with another trusting adult in the house.

Just make sure you talk to the doula about this and what your wishes are so that she's clear about them and ok with it. Sometimes the EMTs will insist on taking the baby to the hospital too.

[DancerMomma]

Something else to consider is that a doula who is certified through an organization will most likely be unable to fulfill that type of request without putting her certification in jeopardy. When I took my training (which was years ago, so maybe it's different now?), this specific question came up and was addressed as completely outside of the scope of doula.
Good luck!

[sweetpeppers]

I think if I didn't have any family around, I'd want someone there, especially if I had other kids. Maybe you could just hire a babysitter...a really cool babysitter that thinks unassisting birthing is awesome.

[Mamabeakley]

Not all doula certifying organizations have the same requirements. I'd do a UC birth but ONLY if I felt confident the family knew I was NOT a midwife and have no clinical skills (because I don't.) It would not be against the "rules" for me as a Birthing From Within doula.