Midwife, Doula, Or Both?

A question I get asked all the time....

When people find me through word of mouth or Google, they sometimes wonder: "Is Liselotte a midwife or a doula? And what's the difference anyway?" It's a great question — and the honest answer is that I am both. But what that means in practice is worth explaining properly, because it's at the heart of what makes Little Miracles unique.

What is a Midwife?

A midwife is a clinically trained and state-registered healthcare professional. In Ireland, midwives must:

• Complete a four-year degree in midwifery (or a conversion programme for registered nurses) -

• Register with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI)

• Maintain ongoing professional development and registration

• Practice within a defined clinical and legal scope

Midwives are qualified to provide clinical care throughout pregnancy, labour, birth and the postnatal period. This includes monitoring maternal and fetal wellbeing, conducting examinations, administering medications, checking vital signs, managing complications, and providing evidence-based clinical advice.

What is a Doula?

A doula is a trained birth and/or postnatal support companion. Doulas:

• Complete a doula training programme (varying in length and content)

• Are not regulated by a statutory body in Ireland

• Do not hold clinical qualifications or registration

• Provide non-clinical emotional, physical and practical support

Doulas play a hugely valuable role — the evidence for continuous doula support during labour is very strong. Postnatal doulas often help with household tasks, cooking, sibling care and emotional support for new parents. What they do not provide is clinical assessment, clinical advice or medical care.

So What is a "Midwife Doula"?

This is where I come in — and why I describe myself as a Midwife Doula.

I am a fully qualified and NMBI-registered midwife with over 25 years of experience in the Irish maternity sector, working in both hospital and community settings. I am also an IBCLC — an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant — and a certified doula, Gentle Birth Instructor and baby massage instructor.

When I work with families in a doula capacity, I bring every bit of that clinical knowledge and experience with me.

An Important and Honest Explanation

In Ireland, midwives working independently outside the HSE face a significant challenge: professional indemnity insurance for independent clinical midwifery practice is currently not available in this country. This is a known and ongoing issue in the Irish maternity sector.

This means that while I hold full midwifery registration and clinical expertise, I am not in a position to provide clinical midwifery care — such as antenatal monitoring, examinations or intrapartum care — outside of HSE settings.

I do not provide home birth services.

What I can offer — and what I do offer — is care and support that is deeply grounded in over two decades of real clinical experience. Every conversation, every observation, every piece of guidance I give is informed by that background.

What I Do — and Don't Do

What I do:

• Antenatal education, preparation and emotional support during pregnancy

• Birth preparation including Gentle Birth and hypnobirthing techniques

• Postnatal home visits — care, support and education for the whole family

• Observation of mother and baby's wellbeing, including baby weight checks and referral to relevant healthcare professionals when indicated

• Lactation consultations as a fully certified IBCLC -

• Maternity night care: caring for your baby overnight so you can rest

• Baby massage instruction

• Ongoing support through my "Hello Midwife" virtual service

What I don't do:

• Clinical examinations or antenatal monitoring

• Intrapartum (labour and birth) attendance as a clinical midwife

• Home births

• Cooking or general housekeeping (unlike many postnatal doulas)

What sets me apart from most doulas:

- Full midwifery registration (NMBI) and 25+ years of clinical experience -

IBCLC certification — one of the highest international qualifications in lactation -

Gentle Birth and baby massage instructor qualifications -

The ability to recognise when something needs medical attention and guide you accordingly -

Care that is genuinely grounded in clinical knowledge — not just emotional support

Why Does This Matter to You?

When you invite someone into your home during one of the most vulnerable and precious times of your life, you want to know who they are and what they bring.

With Little Miracles, you get the warmth, flexibility and personal attention of a doula — combined with the knowledge, experience and professional standards of a midwife and IBCLC.

Midwife Doula