Childbirth Assistant
Labor and birth are sacred, private events. I want my clients to feel totally at ease, safe, able to focus, and empowered in their own space. So it’s important to discuss who exactly will be entering their space during labor as a part of the birth team.
This is midwife Hannah Burba and I attending a birth together. Here, I was assisting her. Sometimes she assists me. And sometimes we call on the lovely nurse Chelsea to assist.
Births usually go quite smoothly - an emergence and not an emergency. But in the event that both mother and baby require life-saving assistance at the same time, such as in the case of a concurrent newborn resuscitation and a hemorrhage during the immediate postpartum period, two qualified and experienced individuals must be present to handle the situation. As such, the Maryland Board of Nursing requires that midwives bring a childbirth assistant to every birth, whether at home or in a birthing center. This is someone who is certified in neonatal resuscitation and adult CPR. They may be another midwife or someone hired specifically as a birth assistant. Sometimes student midwives assist the midwife, and sometimes they serve in the primary role while the supervising midwife assists.
The birth assistant also helps with setting up, cleaning up, charting, taking vital signs, supporting the family, and other tasks as needed/requested during labor, birth, and postpartum. Sometimes there is a seamless flow between two midwives such that it’s unclear who is serving as the primary provider and who is assisting. Generally, the birth assistant arrives and works quietly, blending in to the scene and not making a scene! Check out my Birth Day Presence article for more on that topic.
I pay my birth assistant a portion of the fee I receive from my clients, rather than charging extra. Some midwives charge a separate fee for the birth assistant.
If you would like to meet your birth assistant prior to going into labor, I will give you their phone number, and you can set up a time to connect by Zoom. We all want you to have the best birth experience possible!!
You can find out more about my home birth midwifery services here. Reach out for a free consult here.
If you’re interested in becoming a birth assistant, you’ll need to be trained and certified in neonatal resuscitation. Karen Strange is an amazing instructor who offers integrative newborn resuscitation trainings specific for out-of-hospital birth attendants. Check out her website for the online course and required in-person skills events.
FAQ
What are childbirth assistants called?
For the purposes of this article, I am using the term childbirth assistant to refer to the second clinical provider at a birth. Some people use the phrase to refer to a doula or labor assistant.
What is a trained childbirth assistant called?
I usually call them a birth assistant. But someone might be referring to a doula or a midwife or monitrice. It’s good to ask for clarity.
What is another name for a childbirth assistant?
Birth assistant, doula, monitrice, nurse, midwife, nurse-midwife, friend, mother-in-law. =) Best to ask what we’re talking out.
What does a birth attendant do?
Set-up, clean-up, take vital signs, make notes in the client’s chart, provide labor support, assist with any emergency situations, help the parents, and help with the baby.
