Birth attendants

Birth Attendants are technically any midwives, doulas, physicians, obstetricians, nurses, or medical personnel who are present at a birth in their professional capacity. More commonly a birth assistant is someone who is trained and/or certified to assist the mother through childbirth. The child's parents, immediate family, and any other persons within the vicinity are not normally considered "Birth Attendants" even if they are present at the childbirth and may be giving non-medical assistance to the mother.

The professional birth assistant is a person who attends the birthing family from early labor until the baby is born. They are trained to deliver continuity of care from home to hospital, ease the transition into the hospital environment, be there through changing hospital shifts and alternating physician schedules to serve as advocate, labor coach, and support partner to give the parents-to-be the freedom to focus inward as they meet the challenges and rewards of their unique birthing experience. There are a variety of titles used by women offering these kinds of services such as "birth assistant," "labor support" and "doula". (Doulas, however, usually also offer support services to the family in the weeks following the birth and may or may not perform the actual birth assisting.) *