Midwife Assistant Role

Join Me
A person passionate about assisting the midwife and birthing family through labor, birth, and postpartum.

The birth assistant is also known as the midwife’s assistant to clarify the primary role of working closely with the midwife. Together they maintain a safe and satisfying environment during a family's transition from pregnancy through the immediate postpartum.
Experience the freedom of doing what needs to be done in each moment while letting go of the need to feel like an expert to do it.
Befriend your inner judge.

Clarify your strengths and goals

Engage and act in service at every birth, recognizing that many times the best action is doing nothing.

​Assist the midwife at births during active labor through 4 hours postpartum

Attend a Birth Assistant Workshop

Obtain Required Certifications
Some of the topics covered:
  • Birth Assistant role
  • Situation appropriate communication
  • Practicing self-reflection and cultural humility
  • Review and use of birth supplies
  • Setting up the birth space
  • Confidentiality (HIPAA)
  • Universal precautions, bloodborne pathogens, and use of personal protective equipment
  • Team approach to complications of labor, birth, and postpartum
  • Transfer of care from home to hospital
  • Resuscitation simulations

Local certification classes for BLS/CPR for the health care professional are found online through The American Red Cross and The American Heart Association.

Neonatal Resuscitation (NRP) for community birth: Karen Strange, AABC, ACLS Academy, Baby's Breath

Interested in birth assisting?

Cute picture of a baby with arms out as if to say,
Photo by Humphrey Muleba on Unsplash
I work collaboratively with birth assistants, without whom the practice would not exist.
​Birth assistants are paid per birth attendance on a skill-based scale. ​
Contact Christy to find out more.

Birth Assistant Qualifications

  • Ongoing certification and practice in Neonatal Resuscitation (NRP) and provider certification in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)/Basic Life Support (BLS) is required to attend homebirths and function fully in this role. 
  • A passionate spirit, open mind, and assertive yet humble composure
  • A commitment to open communication and clarification/expression of your needs with a strong focus on maintaining connection