Obviously, I can only speak for myself here, and I'm aware that circumstances vary, but I’m hoping to bring awareness to some things you may not be aware of that are part of planning an out-of-hospital birth. 1. Your midwife can’t be your doula. Midwives wholeheartedly support unmedicated, out-of-hospital birth, and we have a LOT of ways to help you achieve that. But we can’t be your pain relief and be your midwife, too. It’s important to understand that the midwife has to be

If you have been entrusted with the responsibility of attending a birth as a support person, understand that your responsibility goes waaaaay beyond cold wash cloths and back rubs... You have been asked to stand with her in that time when the veil is most thin, and when her heart and body are most vulnerable. You will see her at both her weakest and her strongest (pro tip: they're the same thing). You are being asked to BE with her...WITH her. Really. With. Her. Really be wit