Doulas are professional labour support people. A doula's job is to help you cope with labour by offering comfort measures, physical and emotional support and suggestions to help your labour progress naturally. Midwives provide the health care that you and your baby need. Midwives monitor your labour, deliver the baby and make sure that you and your baby are safe and healthy during the birthing process. Doulas can help individuals have a natural (drug-free) birth, as this is their expertise. Doulas are also able to be with you in the early phase of labour before the midwife arrives. Doulas do not work for the healthcare system so you pay out of pocket for their services. Doulas and midwives work well together and have different roles. Although midwives possess many of the skills that doulas do, midwives have to deal with medical issues as a first priority and also have paperwork that occupies some of their time. A midwife will do their absolute best to make you comfortable, but their priority will always be your medical care and working to treat any issues that arise. The doula will have none of those clinical responsibilities and can focus on supporting you during a challenging time.