What Is The Difference Between Doulas, Labor & Delivery Nurses, Midwives and Monitrices?
A doula provides emotional, physical, and informational support during the entire labor and birth. A labor & delivery nurse tends to the clinical considerations during labor and birth in a hospital or birth center and, if she is not too busy, she may provide some emotional support while she is on duty. A midwife provides prenatal care, delivers babies in hospitals, birth centers, or homes, and can prescribe medications. A midwife may or may not provide significant emotional support during labor. A monitrice is someone who has received professional training for clinical skills, such as fetal heart tones, blood pressure checks, and vaginal exams, and provides physical and emotional support during labor.
