Midwives, Birth Doulas, or Postpartum Doulas 4/19/2010
What is a Midwife?
"Midwife" means with woman. In the midwifery model of care, the midwife attends the mother continuously throughout her labor and birth, offering encouragement, comfort, and other means of supporting the birthing woman. This greatly reduces the need for medical intervention and also increases the empowerment and satisfaction women feel regarding their births.
Where can I find a midwife?
Online, go to: www.idahomidwives.org to get information about midwives and where to find one.
By phone, call your local hospital. You can dial 2-1-1or 1-800-926-2588 to get the contact information for your local hospital.
The Idaho Midwifery Council was formed in the summer of 1980 and continues today to function as a voluntary professional organization, representing midwives across the State of Idaho.
What is a Doula?
A doula provides guidance and support to mothers, couples, and families prior, during, and after the child birth experience.
Giving birth to a baby is so much more than a physical phenomenon; it engages parents-to-be in a transformational experience, a key life event full of emotion and meaning. A doula who accompanies a woman in labor mothers the mother, taking care of her emotional needs throughout childbirth. A doula also provides support and suggestions for partners that can enhance their experiences of birth. A postpartum doula continues that valuable emotional support and guidance, helping a family make a smooth transition into new family dynamics.
Where can I find a doula? And how do I choose the right one for me?
Online: go to www.dona.org to get information about the ‘Doulas Of North America’.
By phone: Call 1-888-788-DONA (3662)
D.O.N.A. (Doulas Of North America) helps educate doulas to be better advocates and facilitators for mothers and their partners. D.O.N.A. also provides information on how to choose a doula and provides lists of doulas by state.