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Midwife and/or Doula

jfaithbjfaithb
in Connecticut Babies

Hi ladies,

Just wondering if anyone has advice about deciding to have a midwife or doula.  I'm not 100% sure if we will be allowed to have the birth outside of a hospital because I'm high risk...but I may want a midwife or doula at the hospital with us.  Did you have one?  Was it beneficial?  Was it a waste?  Any recommendations?  What were the positives and negatives basically :)

 Thanks!

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Re: Midwife and/or Doula

  • iverske9iverske9 member
    You can have both. If you go to a OBGYN practice that has a midwife she will be the one to deliver your baby, and then you can hire a doula to be your support. My sister had a doula but she went to quickly to really have any help from the doula but she loved her.
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  • jfaithbjfaithb
    Thanks!  I'll research the midwife at my obgyn.  Maybe my husband can be my doula - I'll get him a t-shirt!  lol. 
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  • LiteraryFoodieLiteraryFoodie

    A midwife and a doula serve different roles. A midwife attends and basically delivers the baby like an OBGYN would. I would suggest looking into a midwife if you would prefer a natural/no-intervention birth. The midwife model of care uses less interventions.You can use a midwife at a hospital or for a home birth. Just make sure the midwife you choose has a good relationship with a hospital (either the one you'll be delivering at or that you might transfer to in case the case of a home birth)

    A doula is a birth assistant. I highly suggest you research doulas and what they do. You have to go through lots of training, tests and be certified to become a doula, it's not something that your husband can just step in for. It's much more than just a birth "coach." Check out www.dona.org, which is the official website for the organization that regulates doulas. Also Birth Partners, https://birthpartnersdoulas.com/ is high recommended practice of doulas in CT.

    If you are interested in a home birth, I also suggest you research it. Any good midwife will be able to assess your pregnancy and tell you honestly if you are a good candidate for a home birth or if you are high risk.  I've been going to the midwives at Birth and Beyond in Madison for well woman care. I love using midwives and would highly recommend them. They have also said that having a doula attend a birth can be especially helpful for first time mothers because doulas can help them "make sense" of the contractions and the pain and also help them decide when is the right time to go to the hospital. Many doulas are also trained lactation consultants as well, which can also be good for first time moms.

    The blog/website Birth Sense: A Common Sense Guide to normal birth is a helpful resource about natural/homebirth: 

    https://birthsen.tmdhosting930.com/

    I found this article on there helpful in interviewing midwives:

    https://birthsen.tmdhosting930.com/

    There are lots of opinions out there about midwives/doulas/natural/medicated/home vs. hospitalized birth and almost everything you read will have some sort of bias. That's why I think it's important to read a lot and make a decision for yourself about what is best for you and your family. Good luck with your decisions!

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