602 - OB, Midwife, or Doula?

Dr. Carole Keim sits down with neurologist and Mama Bird founder Dr. Mika Gupta for an insightful conversation about baby brain development and the critical role nutrition plays from preconception through early childhood. As both a physician and a mom, Dr. Gupta draws on personal experience and explains the concept of the “first 1,000 days”. She explains why this window is so important for building a strong foundation for a child’s lifelong brain health. Together, Dr. Keim and Dr. Gupta explore how thoughtful nutritional choices can support mom and baby during this period of rapid growth and development. Dr. Carole Keim takes listeners through one of the earliest and most important decisions in pregnancy: choosing the right support team. In this solo episode, she explains the differences between obstetricians, certified nurse midwives, and doulas, helping parents understand the unique role each plays during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum recovery. Dr. Keim also walks through the typical timeline of prenatal visits, ultrasounds, testing, and vaccines, giving expectant parents a practical overview of what to expect from the first positive pregnancy test through delivery. With her warm and reassuring approach, Dr. Keim also explores what labor and birth are really like beyond what’s often portrayed in movies. She discusses birth plans, labor support, cervical checks, fetal monitoring, inductions, C-sections, and postpartum healing, while emphasizing that every pregnancy and birth experience is different. Parents will come away with a clearer understanding of how to build a supportive birth team and how to prepare emotionally and physically for welcoming a new baby. Key Moments 00:00 Introduction to OBs, midwives, and doulas 02:17 Pregnancy tests and scheduling the first prenatal appointment 03:35 The 8–12 week visit, ultrasounds, and viability checks 05:35 The 20-week anatomy scan and fetal development 07:53 Glucose tolerance testing and gestational diabetes screening 10:16 Vaccines during pregnancy: Tdap, flu, COVID, and RSV 12:29 Breech babies, turning procedures, and planned C-sections 14:58 Routine late pregnancy visits and induction discussions 16:15 Certified nurse midwives vs obstetricians 20:07 What doulas do during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum 24:23 Birth plans, labor positions, and creating a calming environment 27:13 Labor monitoring, cervical checks, and delivery interventions 31:59 Postpartum healing, recovery, and spacing pregnancies 35:23 Final thoughts and additional resources for parents Resources discussed in this episode: The Holistic Mamas Handbook is available on Amazon https://amzn.to/4hBMVJ5 The Baby Manual is also available on Amazon https://amzn.to/3ChIaV0 __ Contact Dr. Carole Keim MD Website: https://CaroleKeim.com Linktree: https://linktr.ee/drkeim Tiktok:   / dr.keim   Instagram:   / drcarolekeim