Episode 34: Midwife or OBGYN?
Listen Now
Episode 34 Content and Overview
Should you see a Midwife or OBGYN? Your care provider is the cornerstone of your prenatal care and choosing the right one can make a big difference on your birth experience. This is your expert resource that you will be working with throughout your pregnancy to make some very important decisions. You need to be comfortable with, and trust, your care provider. Both a midwife and an OBGYN offer prenatal care, assist in labor and delivery, and are qualified to give postnatal care. While they are similar, these are two different designations, and there are pros to each of them. There are also some situations in which one would be more appropriate than the other. This episode breaks it all down for you so you know the difference between a Midwife and an OBGYN, and know which one is the right choice for the pregnancy and birth you are planning for.
Included in This Episode
- Subscribe to the Pregnancy Podcast newsletter to be entered to win a copy of The Daily Soul Sessions
- The Daily Soul Sessions…For the Pregnant Mama
- OBGYN (obstetrics and gynecology)
- Midwife
- Certified Nurse Midwife
- Certified Midwife
- Certified Professional Midwife
- Education, training, and specialization
- Stats on midwives in the US
- Study comparing midwife-led to doctor-led maternity care
- Choosing your care provider
- Questions you can ask an OBGYN or midwife:
- How long have you been in practice?
- How many births have you attended?
- How many patients do you have at a given time?
- Is your practice a solo or group practice? If it is a solo practice, who covers for you when you are not available?
- Will you attend my birth? If you are unavailable, who will attend?
- Will you be present throughout my labor?
- What is your general philosophy on pregnancy care, labor, and birth?
- How much time is available during each prenatal visit?
- Are you available to answer questions in between visits?
- Will you assist me develop a birth plan or will you review one I have written?
- Some questions if you are looking to avoid certain interventions:
- What procedures are routine?
- What percentage of your patients utilize pain medication during labor?
- What percentage of your patients has an episiotomy?
- What is your cesarean section rate?
- If you are interviewing a midwife you may also want to ask:
- Did you graduate from a nationally accredited midwifery education program?
- Are you certified by the American College of Nurse-Midwives?
- Do you have an OBGYN that you work with in the event one is needed?
- Join the Pregnancy Podcast Community on Facebook
Vanessa,
Thank you so much for the suggested questions for a midwife consultation. They will be most helpful.
Jaime, best of luck finding a midwife who is a great fit!
I agree that it’s important for a future mother to find a midwife or doctor that they are absolutely comfortable communicating with. That way they will be much more open about their concerns and will get the care that they most need from their care provider. Having that relationship can make a big impact on your motivation, too, to follow the advice they give to help you have a healthy pregnancy.