A monitrice typically offers not only the skills of a doula, but also can perform other tasks related to your pregnancy and labor, such as checking your cervix and baby's position.

I spent a week on The Farm in Summerville, TN learning from the nations preeminent midwives all the skills I would need to perform as a monitrice and midwife's assistant. I learned how to check a cervix, how to palpate, or feel a woman's belly to determine baby's position called Leopold's Manuevers. I learned how to take vital signs - blood pressure, respiration, pulse, and temperature. I learned how to listen to fetal heart tones. I also learned basic sterile technique as well as precautions to take to help mom, baby and myself be safe and maintain a clean birth environment. In addition to this training I am Red Cross Certified in CPR for people of all ages.

To every birth I bring with me all the tools I would need to be able to perform the tasks I listed above. I will not expect you to want to participate in all of these skills I offer, but rather during a prenatal meeting I will simply let you know that you can expect me to know how to perform them should you request them. If I feel for any moment that me performing any of these skills would jeopardize your birth or health, I will respectfully decline performing that task. I also cannot do any kind of invasive procedure, such as breaking your bag of waters or stripping your membranes.

It must be understood that the monitrice skills I bring with me to your birth are outside of the scope of practice as a doula. If the skill you ask me to use makes good sense in the journey of your birth, and if it would be safe to do so, I will happily do it for you. However, if it begins to interfere with my ability to perform well as your doula, we will need to reassess your needs, as it may be time for us to call your care provider, or if you are not having a home birth, consider relocating to the place you have chosen to have your baby.

It would be difficult to put a monetary value on the skills I perform, as some families just ask, for example, for one cervical check, or for me to check baby's position, one time. It would not be fair for me to determine one blanket additional fee for that. However, I would just ask that when you are paying me my doula fee, that you keep in mind any additional monitrice skills I performed, and that these skills are valuable and were achieved at an expense to me. I will allow you to determine if you feel you should pay more, and not ask you for an additional fee.