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I would. I might require some kind of waiver saying that I'm in no way medical personnel or responsible in any way, blah, blah, blah, but yes, I believe that every woman deserves that kind of support, no matter what her birthing choices. I know not all doulas feel that way though and I think that some certifying agencies like DONA *may* have rules against it.

I'm not a doula, but my doula was open to it. She couldn't say outright that she would do it, but she said she would be happy to help if for some reason we "couldn't make it" to the hospital. However, DH would have to actually deliver while she gave instructions and helped.

@runsyellowlites: There are some doulas who choose not to pursue certification through any agency for this very reason. "Lay" doulas, so to speak. I myself haven't decided fully if I'm going the certification route. But not being certified shouldn't mean anything about knowledge or experience.

@runsyellowlites: Apparently I'm not getting notifications. Thanks for walling me!

Yes. I do attend unassisted births so long as the clients understand my limitations as a doula and don't expect me to take the place of a midwife. Its part of my standard contract anyway.

I always advise the parents to really educate themselves, including taking a class in neonatal resusitation and come up with plans for every potential alternative scenario.

This is why I chose not to certify through DONA. I certified through CBI.

My job as a doula is to support mothers in their decisions, not tell them what to do. Even if I don't agree. If asked, I'll give my opinion, but I'm never going to push it on someone.

If there was a life or death situation and the parents panicked and I knew what to do, of course I would step in. I'm not going to worry about my legal risks in the moment of a potential emergency. However, I won't go into a situation knowing the parents are relying on me as the "medical authority". That's their job.

So in short, yes. I would attend a unassisted birth provided the parents knew what they were getting into and weren't relying on me as a medical backup.

@runsyellowlites: @Arden: You can no longer "call" users to threads by way of tagging - unless they already replied in the thread somewhere so that would be why you didn't get a notification, it that helps at all!

@runsyellowlites: Also, depending on the laws of the state, a doula *could* in theory be criminally charged if she observed and did not call 911. Some doulas get around this by calling 911 immediately after the birth ("Oops, there wasn't time!") but then you as the mother have to deal with freaked out EMT's who don't like being told "Thank you but no thank you, we're fine, run along", and potentially the fees associated with an ambulance call out.

You would really have to talk to the doulas in your area and see. Some are (understandably) just too afraid of the potential legal issues they could face to attend UC's. I'm a wee bit of a wild child in my local doula circles.

Also - look into local EMT courses for your DH. They can be completed in just weeks, don't cost all that much, and might give him a little knowledge under his belt to give him the confidence he needs to support you.