If you are curious about jobs that compliment midwifery, there are several birth worker jobs out there. Some jobs are even the normal 9-5.
Living the birth worker dream
Becoming a midwife may be your dream but you may not be ready to have that much responsibility, take on an unpaid apprenticeship or be located in an area where you can apprentice. Maybe you just read what it costs to be a student midwife or what can obstacles to becoming a midwife and decided that this life is not for you and that’s okay.
Just because you had to put becoming a midwife on hold or decided that midwifery is not your calling does not mean that you have to leave the birth world. There are many other birth worker jobs that compliment midwifery well. This way, you are still as involved in the process as you want to be.
Being a birth worker includes many fields of work!
Doula
You could have been told by a midwife that they do not take students who have not been a doula previously and have experienced the on call life. Or you want to get your feet wet first and try out the doula life before midwifery. This is a good option for those who are too young to complete a midwifery program.
Doulas are support persons to the laboring client before, during and after childbirth to the extent that they decide. A doula is there to help educate parents on the different options that they have in childbirth. This way, they are well educated and not taken advantage of.
There are many different certifying agencies you can go through such as DONA, Birth Boot Camp, BEST, Childbirth International, CAPPA and more. Or you can start on your own without training which can be controversial. Doula work requires minimum equipment or start up costs depending on how you brand, market, and the legal side of things that differ from state to state.
Just like attending births as a midwife, this is an on call job. To be clear, being a doula does NOT make you a midwife.
Breastfeeding Educator
There are many, many different programs such as ALPP, Childbirth International, or Lactation Education Resourses, just to name a few. I have not looked into training so I do not know which programs are “the best.” The different programs are of varying costs and titles. They train you to help clients be successful at breastfeeding. This is a very rewarding job. You are able to see babies of varying ages and work in clinics, hospitals and your home. You may even be mobile depending on your route of education.
Childbirth Educator
Now there are a few different programs you can go through. They will provide you with all the materials needed to be a childbirth educator through their company. Or if you are experienced in the birth world you can make your own content and your own program.
Chiropractor
This route requires that you go to college and spend around 4 years getting your Doctorate of Chiropractic. As a chiropractor you can have your own business and work the hours that you’d like to work or you may work for someone else. There are start up costs associated.
Midwives often suggest chiropractic care to their pregnant and postpartum clients and babies. To work on expecting clients and babies you will want to look into becoming Webster certified.
Massage Therapist
Pregnancy does funky things to clients and midwives often suggest prenatal massage to loosen those aches and pains up.
This is another field where you can set your own hours, work for yourself or work for someone else. I do not know the steps to becoming certified in prenatal massage and programs vary in cost.
Photographer
Birth photography, maternity shoots and newborn shoots have become very popular. There are various trainings and costs to sharpen your photography skills and varying costs for programs, cameras, lenses and accessories.
This can be a 9-5 job or an on call job depending on what you decide to do. Maternity and newborn shoots can be scheduled at certain times. This allows you to know what your schedule will look like where as birth photography is another on call job.
Placenta Encapsulation
Different programs offer training on how to encapsulate placentas. These programs vary in cost and there are start up fees for the equipment involved.
Fitness Educator
Being certified in prenatal yoga or any prenatal workout program will have you up close and personal with the pregnant woman.
Nutrition Counselor
The standard American diet is not ideal for pregnancy or life really. A lot of mothers struggle in pregnancy to eat the right things. Then they struggle even more postpartum when they do not feel like cooking and need to increase their calories if they are breastfeeding.
Birth workers come in all shapes and sizes
Taking on one or many of these jobs will have you as close to the birth as you want to be while not having the expenses incurred or your time invested in midwifery. Many of these jobs do have significant expenses with them so don’t think you are getting off easy.
What other birth worker jobs can you think of that compliment midwifery?
