Doula vs. Midwife: Understanding the Difference
When you’re expecting a baby, one of the first decisions you’ll face is choosing the right kind of support. Many parents-to-be hear the terms doula and midwife and assume they could be interchangeable—but they serve very different roles. Both are incredibly valuable, and understanding what each provides can help you build a care team that feels aligned, supportive, and empowering.
What Is a Midwife?
A Registered Midwife (RM) is a medical professional trained to provide clinical care during pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period. Depending on the type of midwife and your region, they may work in homes, birthing centers, and hospitals.
What midwives do:
Provide prenatal care, including check-ups, fetal monitoring, and medical screenings
Offer guidance on pregnancy health, nutrition, and fetal development
Manage labour and delivery from a clinical standpoint
Catch the baby (yes, the midwife delivers!)
Provide postpartum medical care for both parent and baby
Identify complications and collaborate with OB-GYNs when needed
Midwives are responsible for the health and safety of both parent and baby. Their work is grounded in clinical expertise, evidence-based care, and supporting physiologic birth whenever possible.
What Is a Doula?
A doula is a non-medical support professional who focuses on the emotional, physical, mental, and informational well-being of the birthing person and their family.
While a doula doesn’t provide clinical care, their support fills a completely different (and incredibly impactful) role during pregnancy, birth, and the postpartum period.
What doulas do:
Offer emotional support throughout pregnancy and birth
Provide education on birth options, comfort measures, and coping strategies
Create a supportive environment during labour
Suggest positions, breathing techniques, and comfort measures
Offer hands-on support: massage, counterpressure, breathing guidance
Help partners feel confident and involved
Assist with birth preferences and advocacy
Provide early postpartum support such as feeding guidance, recovery tips, and newborn care education
Types of doulas:
Birth doulas
Postpartum doulas
Abortion or loss doulas
Fertility doulas
A doula is your steady, compassionate presence—someone whose sole focus is your experience, comfort, and sense of safety.
How Doulas and Midwives Work Together
The relationship between doulas and midwives is complementary and collaborative.
Together, they support the whole person.
Midwife = clinical care
Doula = continuous emotional + physical support
Most midwives deeply value having a doula present because it allows them to focus on medical responsibilities while the doula supports comfort, mindset, and environment. Your midwife watches over fetal heart tones; your doula watches over your breathing, your shoulders, and your sense of calm.
Do You Need Both a Doula and a Midwife?
You don’t need both—but many families choose to have both because they serve such different roles.
Choosing a midwife gives you:
Personalized, relationship-based medical care
Clinical expertise
A higher chance of physiologic birth if that’s your goal
Choosing a doula gives you:
Continuous support (midwives may need to step out, manage other tasks, or shift between patients)
Comfort measures throughout your labour
Education and reassurance from pregnancy to postpartum
Advocacy and help navigating decisions
Together, they create a team that cares for your body and your emotional well-being.
Many parents find that the combination of a midwife and a doula helps them feel both safe and supported, leading to a more positive and empowered birth experience.
Final Thoughts
What matters most is building a support team that aligns with your values and helps you feel informed, confident, and cared for.
A midwife protects your health.
A doula protects your experience.
And together, they create space for a birth that feels supported, grounded, and truly your own.
