The Difference Between A Doula, Midwife, And Birthing Coach

Do you also mistake doulas, birthing coaches, and midwives for each other? The terms can be confusing—they all seem to share the same goal of supporting you in your pregnancy and childbirth journey.

But what exactly sets them apart? What specific functions and services do they provide? Let's break it down.  

Doulas, Birthing Coaches, and Midwives: A Comparison

Let’s start with midwives and how they differ from doulas and birthing coaches. 

What is a Midwife?

In the Philippines, a midwife is a licensed medical professional. Becoming a requires completing a 4-year midwifery degree program, completing up to 2,346 hours of combined training as a midwife in birthing centers, lying-in clinics, and maternity hospitals, holding a valid Certificate of Registration, and obtaining licensure from the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).

In short, midwives are medical providers, and in the Philippines, they can serve as alternatives to OB-GYN doctors. They provide prenatal care, attend births, deliver babies, and offer postpartum care for mothers and newborns.  

Midwives are primary care providers, and like OB-GYN doctors, you can see a midwife from preconception to postpartum, in-between pregnancies, and even after you are out of your childbearing years.

You can see your midwife for pap smears, vaccines, birth control prescriptions, basic emergency obstetric and newborn care, health education, counseling, and health promotion, as well as other healthcare services beyond the midwifery role.

In the Philippines, midwives play a crucial role in caring for women’s health, especially in rural areas that are short on doctors and other healthcare workers. Midwives are equipped to interpret lab results, check vital signs, conduct ultrasounds, screenings, and tests, assess and monitor your baby’s growth, and ensure you are having a healthy pregnancy overall.

During labor, midwives attend to you, assess and identify any potential red flags that may need medical intervention, and address them. During birth, midwives assist in delivering your baby as well as the placenta. During the postpartum period, midwives provide medical support for you and your baby as you transition into parenthood.

However, midwives are educated, trained, and equipped for normal and low-risk pregnancies. Midwives do NOT handle high-risk pregnancies. They also do not perform other medical procedures associated with high-risk pregnancies. If they identify your case as risky at any point in the pregnancy, they will refer you to OB-GYN doctors to handle your case.

Additionally, midwives in the Philippines cannot perform Caesarean (C-section) delivery on their own, but they can assist in the surgery. So if your midwife refers your case to an OB-GYN doctor and you need or opt for a C-section to deliver, you can request for your midwife to assist in the surgery.

What is a Doula and Birthing Coach?

Unlike midwives, doulas and birthing coaches are non-medical professionals. They focus on providing emotional, physical, and informational support throughout pregnancy, labor and birth, and postpartum.

In the Philippines, the terms "doula" and "birthing coach" are often used interchangeably. There are three kinds of doulas: fertility doulas, birth doulas, and postpartum doulas. Most Filipina doulas perform all three functions or a mix of two functions.

1. Fertility Doula

Fertility doulas support couples who are trying to conceive. They provide emotional guidance and help them weigh their fertility options. Most fertility doulas are also health and wellness coaches. They educate couples on improving their health for pregnancy, and provide information on fertility options and adoption.

2. Birth Doula or Birthing Coach

Birth doulas or birthing coaches usually assist in the later stages of pregnancy and provide labor and childbirth support. However, some birth doulas get involved earlier in the pregnancy, depending on the circumstances of your health or your personal preference.

In the Philippines, the typical setup for birth doulas and birthing coaches involves a series of classes or a one-day class to educate you (and your partner, if applicable) on labor and childbirth and help you create your birth plan. Classes can be intimate group sessions or one-on-one.

Classes vary in content depending on the doula or birthing coach, but all of them usually cover all the essential topics, such as maternal health, stages of labor and childbirth, comfort measures, pain management, relaxation and breathing techniques, postpartum recovery. If you have a partner, they are also taught how to support you throughout the process.

Some birthing coaches and birth doulas stay with you throughout the actual labor and delivery process. And yes, certain hospitals in the Philippines will allow your birth doula into your delivery room, just make sure to check with your OB-GYN doctor to confirm with the hospital beforehand.

During labor, birthing coaches help with labor positions, comfort measures, and guiding partners in supporting the mother. They coach you on breathing and relaxation techniques, pain management, and provide overall emotional and physical support.

Birthing coaches and doulas provide not only emotional, physical and informational support, but one of their main goals is to advocate for you, so that you can make the best informed decisions for your birth. They also facilitate communication with your medical provider, helping you ask the right questions or understanding your options, and make sure that your birth plan is followed.

3. Postpartum Doula

A postpartum doula supports you as you welcome your new baby into your family. For first-time parents, they provide guidance on newborn care, infant feeding, soothing, sleep training, and childcare.

Postpartum doulas also guide the entire family on how to support you and the new baby, involving your partner and older children. They may assist with light housework and train family members to take on domestic and childcare responsibilities.

Postpartum doulas focus on supporting the mother’s physical and emotional recovery from pregnancy and childbirth. The Philippines has inadequate postpartum care, and most women are not even aware of the postpartum health concerns they should be watching out for, or do not have access to the care and treatment they need.

Given this, having a postpartum doula to educate and support you during this period will be extremely helpful for your physical, mental, emotional health and overall well-being.

Differentiating Doulas and Birthing Coaches from Midwives

Unlike midwives, who are regulated and sometimes government-provided, doulas and birthing coaches are private services. There is no regulatory body or Philippine government agency that standardizes or monitors their practices. 

The primary function of doulas is to provide continuous emotional and informational support for the mother—to educate, advocate for, and support mothers throughout conception, pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood. Unlike midwives, OB-GYN doctors, nurses, and other medical providers, a doula's main focus is YOU as an individual, not just as a mother or a pregnant person, and not the baby or pregnancy.

For single moms or women whose partners do not provide sufficient support, doulas in all forms and birthing coaches can make a world of difference.

Midwife vs. Doula / Birthing Coach

Now that we know the clear differences between a midwife and a doula or birthing coach, you might wonder: which one should do I need? The answer isn’t necessarily one or the other. Doulas or birthing coaches and midwives work well together, serving different functions in your pregnancy and childbirth journey.

If you already have an OB-GYN doctor, you may only need a doula for additional emotional and physical support. If you have sufficient support from your partner or family, a midwife (or OB-GYN doctor) without a doula may suffice.

Finding a Doula in the Philippines

Since doulas and birthing coaches in the Philippines are not regulated, their credentials often come from training or certification abroad. Programs and services vary, so don’t hesitate to ask potential doulas about their expertise and offerings.

Above all, choose a doula or birthing coach whose personality aligns with yours—someone you feel comfortable with and trust to guide you through this significant milestone.

Doulas, birthing coaches, and midwives share the common goal of supporting mothers, but their roles are unique. By understanding what each offers, you can choose the support system that best suits your needs. 

Read more about doulas in the Philippines here.