Bridging the Gap: My Journey into Monitrice Care
When I first stepped into birthwork in 2017, I knew I was stepping into a space of profound transformation—one that wasn’t just about catching babies or counting contractions, but about people, their experiences, and the way they were held (or not held) in birth.
I started as a doula, offering emotional and physical support to families navigating pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Over the years, I’ve supported births in hospitals, birth centers, and homes. As I’ve grown both as a doula and now as a student midwife, I saw something missing—a space between standard doula care and midwifery. That’s where my journey into monitrice care began.
What is a Monitrice?
The term monitrice isn’t widely known, and I often find myself explaining it—so if this is the first time you’re hearing it, you’re not alone!
A monitrice is someone who blends the emotional and physical support of a doula with the clinical skills of a student midwife. Unlike a doula, a monitrice is trained to provide limited clinical care during pregnancy and labor, such as:
Monitoring vital signs (blood pressure, pulse, temperature)
Listening to fetal heart tones
Assessing labor progression
This bridges the gap for families who may not yet be in active labor, want to stay home longer before heading to their birth location, or need reassurance as they navigate labor. While I don’t perform medical procedures or catch babies in this role, my training allows me to offer practical, informed support that goes beyond traditional doula care.
Why I Offer Monitrice Care
Over time, I began to see how much families needed both types of support.
Doulas provide invaluable emotional and physical comfort, but their scope is limited when it comes to clinical assessments. Midwives provide full medical care, but their presence is often reserved for active labor.
And then there are the families who fall in between—those planning a hospital birth who want extra support at home, those needing closer monitoring postpartum, or those simply wanting more hands-on guidance before their midwife arrives at their home birth.
That’s where monitrice care fits in.
For me, stepping into this role has felt like a natural progression. I wanted to serve families more fully, to help them feel held, informed, and supported at every stage of birth. Whether it’s laboring in the quiet safety of their home or easing the transition to the hospital, my goal is to provide care that centers their needs, respects their choices, and ensures they feel deeply supported every step of the way.
What Monitrice Care Looks Like with Me
When you hire me as your monitrice, you’re getting both the steady reassurance of a doula and the skilled assessments of a trained midwife assistant. My services include:
Prenatal Visits – Helping you prepare for labor, postpartum, and any concerns along the way.
Labor Monitoring at Home – Checking vital signs, assessing labor progress, hands on guidance alligning baby’s positioning, and ensuring you feel safe and confident before heading to your birth location.
Emotional & Physical Support – Encouraging movement, offering comfort measures, and helping partners feel involved.
Postpartum Check-Ins – Screening for postpartum concerns like preeclampsia, mood disorders, and infant feeding issues before your 6-week provider visit.
Monitrice care is a beautiful, flexible option for those wanting a little more than doula support, but not full midwifery care. And just like with my doula practice, I center my care on your needs, your comfort, and your choices.
You Deserve the Right Support
One of the most important things I’ve learned in this work is that birth is not one-size-fits-all. Some families feel safest with a midwife from the start. Others prefer a hospital setting but want to labor at home for as long as possible. And some are looking for a middle ground.
That’s what I offer.
If monitrice care sounds like the right fit for you, I’d love to talk more about how I can support you during this transition. Let’s connect and create a plan that makes you feel empowered, informed, and at peace with your birth experience.
Reach out today to learn more!