08/14/2026
What's the difference between a doula and a midwife?
Both are evidence-based roles that can help improve outcomes and birth experiences. However, their roles are very different.
A doula is NOT a replacement for a midwife (or OB). However, a midwife CAN be instead of an OB and provide all the clinical prenatal, birth, and postpartum care for expected risk pregnancies.
Why? Doulas often have comprehensive training but this is not clinical training. Midwives have extensive training and hands on clinical practice to safely support pregnancies and births as a primary provider. Midwifery training takes years because of the many potential variables in birth.
Doulas provide continuous support throughout active labor. In home births, they often arrive before your midwife as most people do not yet need clinical care in earlier parts of labor, just support and guidance. For those at birth centers or hospitals, a doula might meet you at home before you're ready to head to the birth facility, or meet you at the birth facility.
Midwives are VITAL for improving overall birth outcomes and provide evidence-based clinical care.
Doulas also provide support associated with improved outcomes but this is through education, physical and emotional support, and empowering parents to be self-advocates.
While doulas might occasionally be employed or contracted with a health system or midwifery practice, they're almost always independent of health systems.
Midwives come in a variety of roles in health care, all important. Some midwives practice independently, some in larger practices with OBs, and some work for the hospital.
Both midwives and doulas offer significant support during pregnancy and birth but their roles are different.
Midwives can provide safe birth care and catch your baby. Doulas provide non-medical support and do not catch babies.
👇🏽 Did you know the differences between midwives and doulas?
