NYC Doula Service

What is the difference between a Midwife and a Doula?

Midwife: In the state of New York a licensed Midwife needs an RN or bachelors of science degree and goes on to study midwifery. Each midwife has a consulting or collaborating physician or hospital as required by NYS Law.

A Midwife is part of your medical support and is used instead of hiring an OB/GYN.
A Midwife delivers the baby and performs the following tasks when and if necessary:

Doppler & fetuscope for monitoring the fetal heart rate
Blood pressure cuff
Oxygen for the mother or the baby
Resuscitation equipment for the baby
Medications to stop maternal hemorrhage
Suture material and numbing medication should you need stitches
IV equipment and IV antibiotics
Herbal or homeopathic remedies

Doula: A Doula is non-medical support.
We are labor companions that provide the expectant mother continuous emotional support, physical comfort and assistance in obtaining information before, during and just after birth. Doulas do not deliver babies.

Doulas:
- are on call for all your questions and concerns for the two weeks prior to your due date and two weeks past your due date.

- arrive when you begin active labor and stay with you continuously until one - two hours after the baby is born and stay by your side from the moment she arrives, while the doctors, nurses and midwife come and go. 

-  help initiate breast feeding and bonding of the mother and baby.

-  are trained and experienced labor companions who help you through many of the unexpected moments that may arise during the course of your labor.

- encourage and comfort you, give you information about what is happening to you, facilitate communication between you and your medical staff and support your decisions. 

- make suggestions for what will help labor progress smoothly. 

- are there to rub your back, wipe your face with cool cloths, hold your head should you vomit 

-  help support your legs during pushing if needed. (often needed if you've had an epidural)

Doula Lauren offers prenatal and postnatal Reiki sessions. Reiki has been shown to reduce stress and foster relaxation; which promotes healing and a sense of well-being.

Reiki is not a substitute for medical or diagnosis and treatment. Reiki practitioners do not diagnose conditions, nor do they prescribe or perform medical treatment, nor prescribe substances, nor interfere with the treatment of a licensed medical professional.

Dr. Jeri Mills' experience on two important labour concerns, the difficulty and length of labour, and the need for C-sections:

· "Besides helping with pain control in labor, Reiki seems to make people labour faster and deliver more easily."

· "Women who had previous caesarian sections for seven pound babies deemed too large to fit though their pelvis were having vaginal deliveries of nine and ten pound babies. My c-section rate declined from approximately 20% to 5%."
-- Jeri Mills, M.D., Reiki in Hospitals, How I introduced Reiki Treatments into my Obstetrics and Gynecology Practice, Reiki News Magazine, Summer 2003

Italiced information can be found at http://www.magma.ca/~peterz/parenting.htm