Questions to Consider When Choosing A Provider
Questions to Ask When Choosing an Obstetrician or Certified Nurse Midwife:
If your provider of choice is in private practice:
What is your philosophy of care?
Do you work collaboratively with other types of providers?
What will my prenatal and postpartum care consist of?
At what point will you be present during labor?
Will you be away any time during my 36-43 week window? ~ You want your hired provider to attend your birth if your baby comes early, goes past 42 weeks, or if your due date gets pushed to a later date.
What percentage of your clients' births do you attend?
Who is your backup provider?
Does your backup provider have the same practice style and philosophies as you?
Will I meet the backup provider at some point during my pregnancy?
When do you recommend I come to the hospital when I’m in labor?
Will you support my choices even if the choice is informed refusal?
What are your standard procedures? ~ Standard of care is not evidenced based care. Standard of care only refers to what the hospital usually does.
What are you going to do to/give me that you typically wouldn’t ask for my consent first?
What is your policy regarding due dates and induction dates?
What is your opinion on birth plans?
What protocols and practices will be discussed and offered at my 36-42 week prenatal visits?
How often, when, and why do you induce labor?
If my water breaks before labor starts, how long are you supportive of me waiting before coming to the hospital?” Answer for GBS negative and GBS positive.
What is out of scope of practice for vaginal births?
Is there anything that would risk me out of your care?
If my baby ends up being breech, is there anyone who is skilled to deliver my baby physiologically (vaginal/birth canal) if I choose to? If not, will you support me in my choice and supply referrals?
Will you support me having birth canal multiples birth and work with me collaboratively on planning my birth rather than insisting on set policies?
Do you and the hospital support eating and drinking freely during labor, without or with an epidural?
Are you supportive of me being in a position of my choice for pushing and the actual birth?
Would you be willing to use warm perineal compresses as a supportive measure throughout the 2nd stage?
What is your belief about delayed cord clamping? Do you support DCC?
Do you recommend I hire a professional birth support advocate/Doula? How do you feel about me working with a Doula? ~ Be aware: if the practitioner has a list of hospital-approved doulas for you, you will not get an advocate doula. The doula will in essence, work for the hospital first, then client second.
What is your cesarean rate?
If your provider is in a group practice:
Do the others in your group have the same practices and protocols?
Can we meet the other practice partners that could possibly be at our birth at some point in our pregnancy?
Do the others in your practice have the same style and philosophies?
What is your practice’s cesarean rate?
Questions To Ask When Choosing An Out Of Hospital Birth Practice/Provider
What are your credentials? ~ There is no ‘one size fits all’ credential. ~ Be aware of bias against traditional midwifery & practice.
Do you work in a solo practice, a partnership, or a group practice?
Who else will be there to assist you at my birth?
If you are at another labor/birth when it’s my turn, who will come to take your place? How often does this happen?
How many births do you take each month? ~ Be aware that 4 or more births per month for a solo practice means there is a higher chance of your midwife being at another birth when you need them.
If this is a group practice, how many are in the group and how many of them are on call for births at all times?
Do you recommend I hire a labor & birth support person/doula? ~ If the provider’s answer is that you do not need a doula because they provide all the care you need, be cautious. Most midwives and their assistants do not come to your house until sometime in active labor. You and your partner/s may need a helping hand for many hours before the midwives arrive. If you are not partnered and do not have another close friend or relative as your labor support, working with a doula is highly recommended!
What medical supplies do you bring to the birth?
Are you current with your neonatal resuscitation certification?
What are your specialities?
What birthing traditions do you bring into your care?
Do you work with plant medicines, herbs, homeopathy, or other modalities?
Will you be away at any point during my 36-43 week window? ~ You want the midwife or midwifery team that you hired to attend your birth if your baby comes early, goes past 42 weeks, or if your due date gets pushed to a later date.
What resources do you have to support me giving birth physiologically (birth canal/vaginal) if my baby is breech?
What are your statistics for transferring to the hospital? ~ A good number is around 10-15%
In the event of a transfer, what can I expect?
What is your cesarean rate? ~ A good number is around 5%
What are your policies regarding due dates and induction dates?
How do you personally practice informed consent & choice?
Are there things/situations you can’t or won’t work with?
If I risk out of your practice will you still attend my birth as an advocate & support person at the hospital?
Will you provide me with references to previous clients?
What is your postpartum care schedule? ~ A typical schedule is: a visit on day 1, day 3, and 5 or 6, 1-2 visits in week 2, a 3 or 4-week visit, and a final 6 week visit.
If I have postpartum issues, will you come more often? ~ The answer should be, “Yes, either my assistant or I will come as often as needed, or use our resources and referrals to refer you to another practitioner if your issue is out of our scope and requires someone more specialized”.
