Choosing care
20 Questions to Ask a Doula Before You Hire
Use these questions in your doula interviews to compare experience, availability, fees and support style, and to find the person who fits.
Birth and postpartum guides
Our birth and postpartum guides explain your options in plain language, from midwife vs. doula to postpartum help at home, so you can choose your birth team with confidence.
Choosing care
Birth Coach vs. Doula: Are They the Same Thing?
Birth coach, labor coach, birth companion and doula often describe the same kind of support. Here is how to tell what someone…
Choosing care
Midwife vs. Doula: What Is the Difference?
One gives clinical care and the other gives emotional and physical support. Here is what each one does, and why many families…
How we write our birth and postpartum guides
First, every guide is written for families, in plain language. We explain what each role does and does not do, so that you can ask better questions.
Next, we keep claims careful. When we point to research, we link to the source, such as the Cochrane review on continuous labor support. Our guides are general information, not medical advice.
Finally, we update guides when rules or common practice change. Each article shows the date it was last updated.
Start here
New to all of this? First, read midwife vs. doula to understand who does what. Then, use our questions to ask a doula in your interviews. After that, plan for the weeks after birth with our postpartum doula guide.
Also, every guide links to the matching provider search. As a result, you can move from reading to comparing real providers in your city, with fees, service areas and reviews side by side.
Meanwhile, if you are a provider, our guides help families understand your work before they reach out. That way, the families who contact you already know what kind of support you offer.
Questions about our birth and postpartum guides
Who writes these guides?
The BirthCareMatch editorial team writes and updates them. Providers never pay to appear in an article.
Can a provider suggest a topic?
Yes. Send ideas through the contact page. We choose topics based on the questions families ask most.
Are these guides medical advice?
No. Always talk with your midwife, doctor or another qualified clinician about your own care.
Ready to find your birth team?
Search midwives and doulas who serve your city, attend your birth setting and have openings near your due month.