To the editor:

I am writing to clarify a headline from the Aug. 31 edition of the GO magazine. The article does a wonderful job of profiling Stefanie Olson and describing her role as a doula. However, the headline states that “Midwife builds healthy practice in Lawrence.” A doula is not a midwife.

There are two common types of midwives. A lay midwife is someone who has been provided hands-on experience in prenatal care, delivery and postpartum care and who typically delivers in the home setting. A certified nurse midwife is a master’s level trained nurse who specializes in obstetric and gynecologic care, typically in a birth center or hospital setting. And while physicians may refer patients to a doula, patients of midwives certainly benefit as well from the support that doulas can provide during labor and delivery.

As a certified nurse midwife myself (who has worked happily with Stefanie), I felt the need to clarify this misconception that the article’s headline may have portrayed.