Questions for Your Consults

Picking your care provider is one of the most important things you can do during pregnancy. Finding someone you can trust to make the right calls regarding the lives of both you and your baby is a life-saving decision. Finding someone who aligns with your values and views on pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum will make the journey less lonely and give you the support you need. The best way to find the proper care provider is to interview multiple people and go from there.

The first thing you need to know is what type of care you want. There are many options, but the most mainstream option is an OBGYN. You can, of course, choose to go with an OBGYN; if you are high-risk, this will be your only option for a care provider. But, if you are low risk, you have many more open doors. You could choose a nurse midwife. Typically, nurse midwives work within the hospital setting, but occasionally, you can find a nurse midwife who attends out-of-hospital births. You can also choose a certified professional midwife specializing in out-of-hospital births. If you are unsure which option would be best, I highly recommend interviewing one of these providers to get a better idea of what care might look like, depending on your direction. Most of the time, these interviews and consultations will be free, and they are a good time to ask some of the big and essential questions.

When preparing for your consults with each provider, you should have a list of questions you can ask. Although asking some of the more complex or significant questions can feel challenging, now is the time to do so because choosing the proper care provider can significantly impact your birth and life.

The first question I recommend asking is where the birth would take place. Are they a hospital-affiliated provider, or would this birth occur out of a hospital setting? Why might this be a good first question? If you are sure that you want to give birth at home, but they work only in a hospital setting, you can kindly end the interview and move on to your next consultation without wasting too much time. The second question I recommend is whether the practice is a group of OBGYNs or midwives or a solo practice. This will give you an idea of how well you might know the provider delivering your baby. I would also recommend asking about how large the group is and if it is a priority for clients to meet every provider in the group during prenatal appointments. This will also give you an idea if you will have one provider on call for you or if you will get whoever is on shift the night you go into labor. You will find that each practice runs slightly differently, which will help you further decide which type of practice aligns most with your vision for your birth.

From here, I would recommend asking questions to understand better how a care provider practices midwifery or gynecology. Some of these questions might include:

• Have you ever seen a natural birth from start to finish?
• How would you describe your philosophy around childbirth?
• What is your cesarean or transfer rate (if they are out of hospital)?
• How frequently do you induce, and at what gestation?
• Are there any required screenings or tests to be in your care?
• How do you feel about doulas attending births?
• How do you support clients with pain management?
• How do I contact you with questions or concerns during my pregnancy?
• How hands-on or hands-off are you during labor?
• How many clients do you take on each month, and in the case of multiple births occurring at once, how is that handled?

Can you support me in nursing my baby, or do you have staff members who can and are qualified to?

• How are appointments run, and how frequently am I seen during pregnancy and postpartum?
• What is your fetal and maternal mortality rate?
• How long have you been practicing as a midwife or OBGYN, and what was your education?
• Do you use informed consent during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum by giving me options, or am I more likely to be told what will be happening next?
• Do you trust my intuition and that I am the professional of my pregnancy and body?
• What does your ideal client look like?

Each of these questions can give you an idea of who the person you are interviewing is, how they practice, and what your care might look like with them. These questions can also lead to other conversations and questions and allow for more in-depth discussions.

Remember that even if a provider answers every question “correctly,” your gut is the ultimate decider. Sometimes, we cannot quite peg what is making us question whether a care provider is a good fit, and that is okay; listen to yourself and your inner knowing. This is your first opportunity to recognize that YOU are the professional for your pregnancy and birth. This will be a tool that you. You can continue to use it throughout the rest of your pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. Remember that just because most people do not interview their care providers, that does not mean you shouldn’t. As I stated previously, choosing a provider that you trust and will not have to fight tooth and nail with is not only going to change your experience with childbirth, but it will also change your life. In this decision, you set things in motion for the rest of your pregnancy, birth, and beyond.