Hey there! In this week’s newsletter, Roxanne and I are sharing our journey to becoming birth workers. In our recent podcast episodes, we break down how to become a doula (and how I got started), and Roxanne shares her path to becoming a certified nurse midwife, along with other routes into midwifery.

One of the most common questions we get is:
​“Should I have a doula or a midwife at my birth?”

So, let’s start with clarity on what each role actually is: a doula and a midwife are not interchangeable.

A midwife is a medical provider.​
A doula is a non-medical support person.

They often work really well together, but one does not replace the other.

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What is a midwife?

A midwife’s role is similar to an OB in that they are responsible for the medical care of you and your baby. Many midwives specialize in supporting low-risk pregnancies and tend to have a strong focus on physiologic birth, but they are still trained to monitor for complications and respond when needed.

Depending on your state laws and the type of midwife, they may attend births in a hospital, birth center, or at home. During labor, they monitor you and your baby, assess progress, and make medical decisions to keep you both safe.

They may also offer guidance on positions or comfort measures, but they are often caring for multiple patients at once and may not be with you continuously.

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Why did Roxanne become a midwife?

After attending my first birth in nursing school, I knew I wanted to be in the birth realm and support people through this amazing process but I didn’t learn what a midwife was till my senior year of nursing school during my rotation in the surgical ICU.

Another nurse was going to school for it and this planted the seed of midwifery as the end goal for my career. I worked with many amazing midwives over the next 8 years which continued to nurture and grow this desire to be a midwife and truly felt called to do it but was so nervous I wouldn’t be good enough.

After many years of supporting women in pregnancy and birth in both hospital and community settings, I was finally convinced, by my midwives in California and Gina, to apply to school and become a midwife!

I interacted with so many amazing and not great provider and it further motivated me to continue on in school so that I can provide amazing compassionate and empowering care to my patients to help change the maternal health world!

What is a birth doula?

A birth doula, on the other hand, is there just for you. Doulas provide continuous support throughout labor. They are typically with you from active labor through birth and for a few hours postpartum.

Their role includes:

• Physical support through position suggestions and comfort measures
• Emotional support by helping you feel grounded, safe, and supported
• Advocacy support by helping you understand your options and communicate with your care team
• Education and resources so you can make informed decisions about your birth

Because they are not responsible for medical care, their entire focus is on your experience. They are not there to diagnose or give medical advice. Instead, they help facilitate communication between you and your provider so you can make decisions that feel right for you with your care team.

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Blog: What Is a Doula? Role, Benefits, and How to Find One​

Why did Gina become a doula?

My first birth was not a positive experience. Postpartum didn’t feel how I expected either. I didn’t feel prepared, and I didn’t really know what I could have done differently. I just remember feeling like I had failed and questioning if I could even do this whole motherhood thing.

So I poured my energy into creating MamasteFit.

At first, it was just a way to support other moms in my community, but it slowly became something more. We built a space where new moms could figure things out together. I created workout programs to help us feel better physically, but what really made the biggest impact was the community.

So many of us had births we didn’t expect. We were all navigating the emotional side of that while also learning how to be mothers.

About a year into MamasteFit, one of my prenatal clients asked if I could be her doula for her upcoming birth. I immediately said yes. It felt like the next step in how I could support the women I was already working with. I was helping them prepare physically for birth and recover postpartum, but I realized I was missing a huge piece of the experience, the birth itself.

So I took a DONA birth doula course and started attending births. That experience completely changed my perspective.

I began to understand that there are so many ways to have an empowering birth. It doesn’t have to look one specific way. It’s not about avoiding an epidural or having a certain type of birth. It’s about feeling supported, informed, and confident in your choices.

That realization also changed how I viewed motherhood as a whole. There isn’t just one “right” way to do this. There are so many paths that can still lead to a positive and empowering experience.

Supporting births has been one of the most meaningful parts of my journey. I’m so grateful for every family that has trusted me to be part of such an important moment in their lives.

Why Pelvic Mechanics Matters for Birth Workers

If you’re a birth worker, one of the most important things to understand is pelvic mechanics, especially if you’re limited in the medical interventions you can offer, like as a doula or a community birth midwife. Movement becomes one of your most powerful tools, both in pregnancy and during labor.

During pregnancy, we can use movement to help create space in the pelvis, support pelvic floor relaxation, and encourage more optimal positioning for baby, which we know can have a huge impact on how labor progresses. Then in labor, movement can help guide baby through the pelvis and support birth.

This is exactly what we teach inside our Pelvic Mechanics course. We break down how to use movement in pregnancy and labor to support a smoother and more empowering birth experience. You can join us in person at one of our workshops or take the online course for self-paced learning with lifetime access, and you can earn ICEA continuing education credits with an option to add nursing credits as well.

Grab the free birth prep circuit guide here!​

Listen to Birth Stories

On the MamasteFit Podcast, we also share a wide range of birth stories.

We’ve had women come on and talk through so many different experiences. Some were supported by midwives, some had doulas, and some had both.

Each story looks a little different, but they all offer real insight into what birth can look like and how support can shape that experience.

You can listen to those episodes on the podcast or watch them on our YouTube channel.​

Stay Strong in Pregnancy and Motherhood!

MamasteFit is one of the only fitness training facilities in the country that exclusively works with in-person prenatal and postnatal fitness clients—and also provides hands-on birth support. Our prenatal and postpartum fitness programs aren’t random “safe” modifications pulled from the internet; they’re designed specifically for this stage of life, tested and refined with our in-person clients, and approved by our in-house pelvic floor physical therapists.

Our prenatal programs were created to keep you strong and pain-free throughout pregnancy with specialty exercises to help you prepare for birth with pelvic opening, pelvic floor, and birth prep movements.

Our postpartum programs were carefully designed with our in-person fitness clients and pelvic floor PTs to ensure there is a smooth transition from rehab and recovery to fitness. Many PTs recommend our programs for both pregnancy and postpartum because of how seamless they integrate with someone's 1-1 PT!

And if you are beyond the first 6–9 months postpartum and ready to continue strength training with us, check out our Beyond Postpartum Strength Program!​

This is the strength programming I personally use to feel strong in motherhood while continuing to support my pelvic floor and core.

The program moves through 6–8 week cycles with new workouts each phase. Every cycle focuses on a different training goal, including strength endurance, maximal strength, power, and stability so you can continue progressing long after the postpartum phase.