Scope of practice
Within scope
- Continuous physical, emotional, and informational support
- Comfort measures and position suggestions
- Help communicating preferences to the care team
- Practical information so you can ask better questions
Outside scope
- Clinical assessment or monitoring
- Medical procedures
- Medical advice or recommendations that override a clinician
- Delivery of the baby
Clinical responsibility belongs to a licensed midwife or physician. See doula vs midwife and what a doula does.
Why the boundary exists
The boundary protects you. Clinical decisions require training, licensure, and accountability that doula training does not provide. Keeping the roles separate means the midwife or physician remains responsible for monitoring and decisions, while the doula remains free to focus entirely on continuous support. Blurring the line creates risk and confusion. The distinction is also explained on the doula vs midwife page and in the overview of what a doula does.
What to do if a boundary is unclear
If someone offering doula support suggests they can monitor the baby, manage complications, or give medical advice, clarify the role or choose a different support person. Those tasks belong to a licensed clinician. You can still have continuous non-medical support. It simply needs to stay within the boundary described on this page.
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