What Is a Birth Assistant?
When you’re planning a birth at a birth center, you might hear a few unfamiliar terms. One of them is “birth assistant.” Birth assistants are trained professionals. They help families and midwives during labor and birth. They are part of the care team, ensuring everything runs smoothly and safely.
In an out-of-hospital setting like a birth center, every role matters. Birth assistants work diligently to make the experience calmer, safer, and more supportive.
A birth assistant is not a midwife, but they are an important part of the birth team
Birth assistants team up with midwives during labor, delivery, and right after birth. They are not trained midwives, but they are highly trained in birth-related care. Their presence adds another layer of support to the birth team, helping ensure that both clinical and emotional needs are met.
It’s easy to confuse a birth assistant with a doula, but their role is distinct. Doulas provide emotional and physical support for the birthing person. Birth assistants help the midwife directly. They also provide support and a calming presence to the family.
What does a birth assistant do?
Birth assistants wear many hats during a birth. One moment, they check vitals. Next, they help a laboring person get comfortable or refill a water bottle. Some of their responsibilities may include:
- Monitoring vitals for both the birthing person and baby during labor
- Providing hands-on support during contractions and pushing
- Assisting with clinical tools and equipment
- Charting and documenting the labor and birth process
- Setting up the birth space with supplies, towels, and other essentials
- Supporting the midwife in rare emergencies or during complications
- Offering emotional support and comfort measures to the family
- Cleaning up and helping the family settle in after the birth
- Supporting skin-to-skin time, nursing, and the baby’s first moments
What kind of training do birth assistants have?
Birth assistants receive training specific to out-of-hospital birth. Certification programs may include CPR for adults and infants, neonatal resuscitation, and training for birth assistants. They learn to take blood pressure, check fetal heart tones, support emergencies, and keep sterile fields.
Some birth assistants have prior experience as doulas, EMTs, or certified nursing assistants. Some people enter this role eager to help families through a key life change. All birth assistants, no matter their path, commit to ongoing education and training to stay updated in their field.
Teamwork is also a major part of their role. They work closely with midwives. They must be adaptable, responsive, and ready for each unique birth.
Why are birth assistants important in birth center care?
In a hospital, several people may rotate in and out of the room. In a birth center, the team is small and focused, and that’s where birth assistants shine. They offer steady support, a second set of skilled hands, and a calm presence.
Their ability to manage logistics frees the midwife to focus on direct care. Birth assistants help create a safe space.
Often, birth assistants are familiar faces by the time labor begins. You may have seen them at a prenatal visit or childbirth class. This connection can bring comfort and ease to your experience.
Birth assistants help everything run smoothly. This lets you and your midwife focus on what really matters: welcoming your baby into the world with love and care.
To learn more about birth center care and the amazing people who make it possible, visit rootsbirthcenter.com or check out our videos on YouTube.